Hot Sand
by thatreevesgirl
Summary: Years after becoming Kazekage, a more mature Gaara seeks out love which he has yet to find, and soon discovers it in an old acquaintance. NarutoGaaraNaruto, and in later chapters...KakashiSasuke and KankuroSakura
1. Chapter 1

**Important A/N's: **This is the **edited **version of Hot Sand…it was originally very, very smutty (mostly from chapter 2 on). If you would like to read the real version, please hop over to my author's page and follow the links, because it is **complete** (yes, finished, 21 chapters of GaaNaruGaa goodness) over at AdultFanFiction. Also, this isn't beta'd so there are probably still errors, but I'm too lazy to hunt them down and fix them right now though I probably will do that later).

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The sand trundled along lazily in the midday sun, almost as if it too refused to expend any extra energy during the most smoldering hours of the day. Gaara observed as dunes trickled apart, slowly disintegrating before rising up again nearby. The Kazekage was seated beneath and protected by the shade of a rock facing that was next to one of the few oases near Suna.

It was unusual to find any human among the desert on a day like this, but this location was normally a place of great comfort to Gaara. Usually hiding amongst the reclusive outskirts of Suna was a very gratifying experience for the Kazekage, but today Gaara found himself only feeling tired and grumpy as he tried to ignore the stifling heat which was not only rising from the earth around him but also bearing down from the sun above.

Taking a water flask and bringing it to his lips, it was quickly realized that Gaara had already used over half of his reserves, dangerously low for a day spent surveying the vastness of the desert. The Kazekage knew well that the oasis that he leisured next to was not fit for drinking. This particular watering hole contained too many minerals and bacteria from the desolate tract around his village, leaving Gaara with little options other than returning to town during the worst possible time of the day. The red-headed man wasn't that worried, knowing that if he needed to it would be easy to create a canopy of sand that would guard him from the elements, but the chakra needed to manifest the protection and the time that would be added to his travel due to its extreme mass would be troublesome to say the least.

Gaara heard a crinkle of footsteps in the sand nearby and looked up to find his older sibling's puppet Karasu. The Kazekage was impressed, Kankuro's ability had improved greatly in the past few years. Being able to control any marionette at this range only proved how capable the Kazekage's brother truly was.

"I thought that you might need this. It's much hotter today than predicted." The puppet held out two flasks of water to Gaara, who took them immediately and attached them securely to his pack.

"Thank you, I was just thinking how bothersome it would be to travel back just for a canteen of water," Gaara murmured. "How are the preparations going?"

"It'd be nice if you were here, because Temari is not happy that you decided to hide amongst the wasteland rather than be hospitable to our guests," the puppet said before sitting down beside Gaara. Any other person wouldn't have had a clue that it was not Kankuro settled in the sand beside the Kazekage, but Gaara knew it from the second he laid eyes on his brother's likeness.

"It is not a wasteland, it is our home," Gaara growled. "Further, it is _Temari_ that is getting married, not I. Therefore, I don't see the need for me to be present to entertain _her_ guests."

Gaara's eyes narrowed as he considered the hundreds of guests that were plaguing his mansion. Even the thought of the number of stuffy elders that were present were enough to give the Kazekage a migraine. The audible sigh that escaped Gaara's throat was not ignored by his older brother.

"You might find that it's a bit more fun that you think," Karasu began, "It isn't like our normal diplomatic meetings with Konoha, boring and stiff, it's mostly friends who have come to help celebrate. That brat Shikamaru brought half of the jonin from his village here with him, but it has been nothing but enjoyable so far. We've all spent the day half drunk off of good sake that they procured before coming here."

Gaara grumbled and slumped over slightly in what Kankuro knew to be his brother's version of pouting. "I do not drink sake."

Karasu let loose a hearty laugh, "You should, maybe it would loosen you up a bit, help you with the ladies."

Kankuro was infamous for bedding the women of Suna, Konoha, and any of the other villages that the three siblings visited frequently. The puppet master knew that Gaara had no wish to not follow in his lecherous footsteps, but was always teasing his younger brother about it all the same. Gaara furrowed non-existent brows and pounded his fist into a cushion of sand at his side.

"Really Gaara, what is wrong with you? I haven't seen you this frazzled since before Shukaku was removed."

"Nothing."

There was to be no more discussion on the matter, the single word that Gaara had grumbled out explained clearly that the Kazekage wished for no more discussion on the topic. Kankuro, being the nosey older brother he was, ignored the warning tone and needled his brother for more information.

"Hmmm…perhaps you are jealous." The puppet representation of Kankuro said in a joking manner, not realizing that he had hit the nail on the head. Gaara rose furiously to his feet and began pacing and mumbling things under his breath. "You're kidding me! You are jealous of Temari? I didn't know you liked Shikamaru."

"I don't like Shikamaru, and I'm not…" the growled response was cut short as Gaara realized that his brother might be right. "Perhaps I am a bit frustrated that Temari has found someone, but I have not."

"You haven't been trying very hard little brother, pushing away any possible partners under the guise that you are too busy to deal with such matters," Karasu told the red-head quietly, knowing that he must choose words carefully or meet the wrath of a confused and lonely Gaara.

"I do not wish to be coupled with one of those power-hungry wenches whose mother has decided that their daughter shall be the one to produce the heir to the Kazekage. It is disgraceful how they lust over power, not even seeing me. I refuse not to be seen and appreciated by the one that I am with!" Gaara fumed.

Kankuro knew this was true, the only people that had expressed any interest in the Kazekage were those that desired the position of influence they would inherit, or those that thought that it was thrilling to pine over an ex-murderer. Partners that fell into either of these categories were not acceptable to who Gaara had become in the six years since the removal of the demon within him.

The deeply troubled youth that the Kazekage used to be had changed drastically as Gaara grew older. Yes, the red-head could be a bit dark and twisted at times, and his quiet brooding nature was still an aspect that hadn't been altered, but at the same time Gaara held life in high regards and cared deeply for those around him. Senseless murder was no longer in the Kazekage's fighting repertoire, and Gaara had formed friendships with many other Shinobi, especially his own siblings.

"Then it is you that must do the inquiring. If you do not draw those that you desire to you, then you must be the one to pursue your own interests." Gaara stopped his pacing when he heard Karasu's words. As much of an idiot that his brother pretended to be, it always surprised him when Kankuro shared such hidden wisdom. "What are you looking for in a partner?"

"Someone that understands me…someone that's not power-hungry." Gaara gave a small annoyed snort as he added, "Not one of the bimbos that you are drawn to. I don't wish for meaningless relationships that can be so easily discarded."

"I would've never assumed that," the puppet told the Kazekage. "I understand that you do not accept relationships easily, not even ones that are seemingly temporary. Being the person you are requires that you need something a bit more stable. Why don't you come back and spend time with those of us here? Perhaps you will find possibility in one of your friends from Konoha…they have always treated you with respect."

"Perhaps…I will return to town at dusk. I don't wish to travel in such conditions," Gaara told Karasu as he sat back down against the rocks in the shade.

"Fine, I'll tell everyone when to expect you…"

"Kankuro?" Gaara calmly interrupted his brother. "Is Uzumaki among the guests?" Gaara asked this with no added emotion to hint at why the Kazekage asked about the young man in question.

"Yeah, your little blond friend came along. I believe that he's currently drunk off of his ass complaining that you ran off without saying hello." Karasu raised an eyebrow at Gaara, "I didn't think that you would be interested in such a person."

Gaara hadn't really realized why he'd asked about Naruto, so he quickly snapped at his brother, "I should care when the Hokage visits Suna, it's a rare thing."

It was a bit unconvincing and Karasu's eyes rolled in an unbelieving fashion as Gaara spun his web of excuses. "Don't look at me like that Kankuro, he's my friend."

"Yes, one that is remarkably like a young leader of Suna that I'm acquainted with. I mean the guy has a demon dwelling within him and is a dignitary of an ally nation, I don't think you can get more understanding than that Gaara."

Gaara's eyes bugged out at Karasu, "Kankuro, he is a man."

"Yes, and apparently a man that you are interested in. I've never known you to show an concern for anyone else in such a way. He'd be a good choice, seeing that he could identify with your struggle and has enough of his own power that he wouldn't be chasing after yours." Karasu stood and started walking back to the village, leaving Gaara to mull over the possibilities in solitude.

Kankuro leaned lazily against a wall as he watched the people celebrating in the Kazekage's mansion. It was humble by most rulers' standards, but the puppet-nin found it unnervingly large when not filled by so many individuals. Most of Kankuro's family, save Temari and himself, were either dead or had fled thanks to a younger, more hostile Gaara. Now only the three sand siblings resided here on a regular basis. This was soon to change, because Temari was returning to Konoha with Shikamaru. It was their agreement; she would live with him, but their marriage would take place in Suna.

Kankuro wasn't sure if he was happy or saddened by the fact that his annoying sister was moving away to be the bride of some Konoha jonin brat…maybe he was both. The puppet-nin certainly wouldn't miss his sister's nagging or the way she could beat the living tar out of him when she so pleased, but he would definitely miss what was left of their small, broken family. This whole marriage ordeal actually made Kankuro consider the thought that he should settle down too and find someone to be with, because something told him that he would be the only single person in their family very soon.

Out of the corner of Kankuro's eye he caught the familiar fiery tresses of his brother pushing through the crowd, avoiding leisurely conversation that several of the Konohan guests tried to spur the Kazekage into. Gaara was highly protective of his friends, family, and the residents of the village that he ruled and protected…this did not mean that the Kazekage enjoyed conversing with any of those people on a regular basis. The solitary nature of the Suna leader was something that hadn't changed since Gaara's youth. There were very few individuals that Kankuro's brother actually enjoyed chatting with. Therefore, most of those that tried conversing with the Kazekage were rejected under some untruth that Gaara would give them to avoid getting into a dialogue of any kind.

"Speaking of the devil…" Kankuro whispered under his breath as Gaara finally made it to where he was standing. Gaara's return was several hours after his planned arrival. "Where have you been?"

"There were bandits, I took care of them," Gaara replied nonchalantly, his eyes speaking of nothing out of the ordinary.

"I'm sure you did…how dead are they?"

"They are not dead at all, I brought them in for questioning. That's what took me so long." Gaara glared at his older brother, Kankuro still had so little faith in him. "What have I missed?"

"Ino parading around topless…you definitely missed that," Kankuro replied with a smirk. Ino and the puppet-nin had been intimate on more than one occasion, so her breasts were nothing new to Kankuro, but he liked them all the same. They were perky and bounced with each of her drunken steps. If Sakura hadn't intervened Kankuro might have invited the blonde up to his room to rekindle old memories.

"You never change," Gaara sighed. "I suppose that I _must_ go say hello to all of them."

"Yes, you should. They have all been excitedly awaiting your return. Apparently you have many more friends in Konoha than you do Suna. There is one particularly drunk Hokage that has been stumbling around calling your name for about the last hour."

Kankuro's words caused Gaara's eyes to raise a bit as the Kazekage scanned the room for his inebriated friend. Kankuro leaned in close to his younger brother and whispered into his ear, "Good luck tonight, I hope you score big."

After giving his brother an angry retaliatory punch to the arm, Gaara began making the rounds and saying hello to his guests. The Kazekage made quick small talk with everyone and always ended with a question inquiring if they knew the whereabouts of their esteemed leader (usually making up an excuse that he had important dealings to discuss with the Hokage). Sakura finally pointed up the stairs that led to one of the mansion's areas for sleeping quarters.

The pink-haired kunoichi's face squinched as she recalled the state of her former teammate, "He was really drunk, he's probably puking or sleeping."

Gaara thanked her and ascended the stairs to search out Naruto. The young Suna leader didn't have to look long, because Naruto was splayed on the floor with a bottle of sake just a few feet from the top of the staircase.

"Gaara? Is that you Gaara?" Naruto's words slurred together as he tried to determine which of the three spinning men was in fact the Kazekage.

Gaara shook his head at the site before him. Naruto was donning an ornate robe that was probably intended for the Hokage to wear at important events. It was red and white and painstakingly embroidered with silk thread. Under normal circumstances Gaara was sure that it looked very regal, but seeing that it was wrapped awkwardly around the sprawled Naruto, it instead appeared wrinkled and messy.

"You are drunk."

"And you are not…come drink with me, Gaara," Naruto said while patting the ground beside him, inviting Gaara to sit. The Kazekage complied against his own better judgment and Naruto attempted to push the bottle of sake into his friend's hand. "Drink it."

"I don't drink."

"Well, start." Naruto laid his head back on the floor and grinned up at Gaara, causing the Kazekage to blush unconsciously. That handsome, toothy smile was infectious, making the red-head feel like returning the grin, but at the same time receiving a wave of complete nervousness as Gaara watched his drunken blond friend. Naruto poked his fingers at Gaara's hand and maneuvered the sake bottle into the Kazekage's grasp.

The bottle was heavily inspected by Gaara as he warily sniffed at its contents. "What does it taste like?"

"At first it burns a bit, but the more you drink the more it just tastes like…well, it's good. Just try it," Naruto insisted.

Gaara complied and found that too soon the bottle's contents were emptied thanks to him and Naruto. This was when he started to feel his composure failing. "Which one of these is your room?" Naruto asked pointing at the doors that lined the hallway.

"My room is at the end of this corridor," Gaara told Naruto. He felt so warm inside, almost like the sake had been laced with some fire jutsu. "Want to see it?"

Naruto's face lit up as the Hokage ginned like an idiot, "Hell yeah! I wanna know if you live in dark, scary squalor,"

"I do not live in such a way, I am not like that."

"You used to be like that," Naruto laughed as he teased his friend. "I am just kidding. Come on, I need your help…you haven't had as much alcohol as I have, give me a hand."

Naruto began to get up, unsteadily balancing himself against the wall. Gaara watched his friend with great interest, trying to determine when the blond man grew up so much. It wasn't like the days when they were sixteen and Gaara had been saved by a younger version of the Hokage. This Naruto was a man that resembled the formerly short and slightly pudgy exuberant child and teen, but he was also something else.

Naruto flashed Gaara a smile, and the Kazekage noted that the amazingly bright blue depths of the Hokage's eyes were the same. The trance that they seemed to place Gaara under made the Kazekage want to move closer to examine them. Gaara stood and moved to where Naruto was propped up against the wall, watching him intently the entire time. The Kazekage almost reached out to touch Naruto's face…he wanted to examine the blond further, especially the eyes that seemed to draw Gaara to Naruto like a moth to a flame.

Gaara soon found Naruto's arm slung over his shoulder as they tried to make it down to the Kazekage's room. Naruto laughed and joked the whole way there, making the situation less tense. It was so nice to have someone be so casual around the Kazekage, it was definitely not something that happened very often to Gaara.

Naruto stumbled a bit, tripping on the hem of the Hokage ceremonial robe. The two men nearly took a tumble, but Gaara steadied them and gripped Naruto hard to keep him upright.

"Thanks, Gaara," was the appreciative response from Naruto. A bit tangled from their near-disastrous trip, Naruto and Gaara tried to untwine themselves from each other. Naruto was still unable to stand completely on his own and leaned against his friend for support, allowing the Kazekage to leech warmth from the blond's body. It wasn't like Suna required any extra exchange of heat. It was summer, and the desert could be stifling during days like this, even the nights were still relatively tepid for the residents of Suna.

The warmth that Naruto shared with Gaara did nothing but create a different kind of heat between the two. The Kazekage's heart starting beating madly as if out of control and Gaara noticed the proximity of Naruto to himself. Gaara stared long and hard at his friend.

"Gaara, are you all right?" the still drunk Naruto asked quietly, examining Gaara's furrowed face intently.

Attempting to breath and speak normally, Gaara choked down the last bit of nerves and responded, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure about that?" Naruto asked, laying his palm across Gaara's forehead for a moment. Naruto's fingers moved to the messy strands of red hair that were a bit sticky from Gaara's perspiration, pushing them out of the way to get a better feel of the forehead in question.

"I don't have a fever," Gaara muttered.

"Nope…you don't," Naruto beamed, extremely happy that there was nothing wrong with Gaara. "So why the sour face?"

"I…"

There were no words that Gaara could find to describe his dilemma. In front of him was his friend Naruto, someone that was important and special to him…a person that until today Gaara had never considered romantically. But Gaara was considering now, the thoughts that flooded his mind concerning the Hokage in a more passionate light seemed innumerable and impossible to count. The worst of it was the fact that the more he watched Naruto, the more Gaara was drawn to the pert lips of the other man…Gaara wasn't sure why or what he wanted to do, it seemed so hopelessly ridiculous to have feelings for Naruto.

Gaara watched as Naruto swallowed hard, and the hand that had been firmly placed on the Kazekage's forehead traveled down, tracing Gaara's face until it came to rest upon the other man's cheek. Naruto's eyes were locked with Gaara's, both men now fighting some hopeless internal struggle.

Naruto's fingers traveled further down again, touching Gaara's lips softly with the tip of his index finger. "Would you think I was strange if I wanted to kiss you?" was the nearly inaudible question from Naruto.

Gaara's breath hitched in his throat and he tried to comprehend the fact that Naruto wanted to kiss him. Naruto…the one that Gaara desired…Naruto wanted him as well.

Words didn't answer Naruto, only the soft, warm lips that Naruto had been caressing made any move to respond. The space between the two disappeared as cautious mouths met and began exploring each other. Gaara was very hesitant and Naruto quickly took the lead, making the Kazekage groan as Naruto pulled closer to the other man, hooking his arms around Gaara's waist and anchoring himself to the red-head.

Gaara's emotions were going haywire as Naruto continued to kiss him fervently. Not liking the feeling of Naruto being the dominant force, Gaara allowed a bit of unresolved aggression to manifest itself physically as he shoved Naruto hard against a nearby wall. Gaara's head was fuzzy and all of the thoughts it contained were muddled together. Pushing away from Naruto and stepping back momentarily to examine the man that the Kazekage had pinned against the wall, Gaara grinned a most sinister smile. With a look of malicious intent, the Kazekage sauntered back up to the confused blond and attacked him viciously with warm lips, leaving Naruto perplexed and curious.

Here stood the two leaders of ally nations, legs intertwined and lips fighting for dominance, a situation that was induced and given confidence by a bottle of sake, but had been just underneath the surface all along. Neither had expected anything of this nature to happen between them, but that certainly wasn't stopping it from occurring. Naruto's head was now nuzzled in Gaara's neck, sucking hard on his pulse point. Gaara groaned at the feeling, but then let out a muffled scream as Naruto bit him so hard that the Kazekage was sure that it had drawn blood.

Naruto returned to the lighter and more fleeting kisses and attentions on Gaara's skin before asking, "Where is your room?"

Gaara motioned to the end of the hallway, specifically to the door was only about ten meters away. Naruto threw Gaara off of him and pushed away from the wall that he had been trapped against. Next, the Hokage grabbed onto the vest of the growling red-haired man and pulled him toward the bedroom that Gaara had indicated. The nervous look that graced Gaara's face quickly dissipated as Naruto opened the door to red-head's quarters and pulled the Kazekage inside and began to once again kiss the man passionately.

Naruto swore that he heard the faintest of whimpers escape Gaara's throat, but was overshadowed by Gaara actually ripping his ceremonial Hokage robe with eager fingers. Gaara would pay for that. Naruto's hands crept around to Gaara's hard gluteus muscles and lifted him off of the floor, letting Gaara's legs wrap around him as Naruto carried his friend toward the bed. Naruto was not gentle as they found themselves thrown on the Kazekage's mattress moments later. The Hokage let his hips work themselves furiously against the body of his partner finally making Gaara start to lose control and murmur incoherently.

Gaara wasn't willing to give up dominance quite yet, and with the aid of his sand Naruto found himself sprawled on the mattress below them with a very satisfied looking Kazekage straddling him. Naruto should have been furious at the underhanded and sneaky assistance that Gaara had been granted, but smiled up at him with a foxy grin instead.

"Someone doesn't want to be bottom, do they?"

Gaara's eyes rose in a mocking way, "I suppose that will be an area of dispute."

"We could share the responsibility. I'll even let you go first if you like," Naruto's hands and legs were firmly held in place by sand restraints, but nothing held down his hips as he lifted them against the man on top.

"Mmm," Gaara said as much in a response to the compromise proposed by Naruto as a reaction to the friction pressing against him. "I think that is a diplomatic concession I'm willing to make."

Gaara arched his back forward and brought his head to Naruto's. The drunken fog was starting to lift and the Kazekage's mind able to think of more than just raw animalistic desire. This time he claimed Uzumaki's lips in a soft, sensual way, running his fingers through silky golden locks and carefully stroking a cheek of his soon-to-be lover. The kiss was so slow and deliberate that it almost made them ache.

Naruto invited Gaara's tongue into his mouth as he suckled on it and let it dance methodically in time with his own. The sand that had been holding Naruto dripped away and Gaara gasped as hands ran up his sides and began unhooking clasps from his vest. Gaara rose up and let Naruto remove the unwanted clothing, leaving him shirtless in only his pants and sandals. Naruto's gaze focused on the flawless skin in front of him and slowly ran one hand up Gaara's well-toned chest.

"It never ceases to amaze me to know that you completely lack any scarring. It's like this isn't the body of a shinobi at all, but someone who has never seen battle."

Gaara allowed a small grin as he watched Naruto study him, "I don't think that I'm alone." Hands snaked into folds of ripped fabric (which was formerly a very expensive ceremonial Hokage robe) to reveal tanned skin that rippled over layers of hard muscle. "You are also nearly devoid of blemish, only decorated with ornate seals of protection."

Naruto found this a bit funny and chuckled at Gaara's description of the seal, "I can thank my tenant for that, because he likes to keep his jail tidy. And I've come to appreciate the seal…it's like a very cool tattoo that only I get to have."

Gaara also allowed a quiet chuckle to escape his throat. He was quite aware of the healing powers of the demon that resided in Naruto, and now found himself oddly grateful that Kyuubi had protected his friend in such a way over the years. There were times that would have surely meant death if Naruto hadn't housed the nine-tailed fox within him. The thought of such a death wasn't one that Gaara appreciated.

"It does look…cool," Gaara mused, tracing the black lines of the seal carefully with one finger.

"Gaara?" Naruto asked in a near whisper. Gaara raised his head, which had been intently focused on Naruto's stomach, to lock gazes with the blond. "What exactly are we doing here? I don't mind it, but…I suppose I want to know."

It was clear that the alcohol was quickly getting metabolized away as heads and hearts were swiftly intervening between the longings of the two men's bodies. "I'm not sure," came Gaara's quiet reply. "I guess I hope that it lasts longer than only tonight."

Strong hands reached for Gaara's neck and pulled him down, and just before Naruto kissed his friend once again he murmured the words, "So do I."


	2. Chapter 2

**_HOT SAND (sexless-edited version)  
_**

**_by Lemon Drops/thatreevesgirl (they're both me) _**

**_Chapter 2: Relinquishing Control_ **

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Gaara allowed himself to melt into the kiss, letting the weight shift from his knees and legs that were straddling Naruto's hips to his arms that were placed one on each side of the Hokage's chest. The contact of their lips grew hungry and soon Gaara's mouth was invaded as Naruto's tongue swept slowly against his. 

Naruto had noticed that every move had been initiated by him. Gaara's body thrust against his after Naruto had done it first...Gaara's tongue would mimic the movements of Naruto's tongue...Gaara's every action was an imitation of something Naruto did. The red haired Kazekage was very sly about his lack of knowledge, because once he learned something he performed the action very well, but Naruto knew that it was mostly an act to cover Gaara's inexperience.

Naruto pushed against Gaara's chest to break the kiss. Completely out of breath Gaara growled at the removal of the warmth and wetness of his partner's mouth. The young Hokage didn't waste any time beating around the bush…conversation in a situation like this was difficult if not impossible.

"Gaara, have you ever done anything like this before?"

Gaara looked insulted and snarled at Naruto, "Of course I have." The blond lifted a skeptical eyebrow and waited for the truth. "Don't look at me like that, I have taken many lovers."

This time Naruto actually scoffed at the lie that Gaara was trying to weave. "You haven't even ever kissed another person, let alone slept with anyone. You can't fool me, Gaara."

The smirk on Naruto's face caused Gaara to be torn between a sheepish look (since he had been caught in his own fibbing) and a scowl that tempted him to pummel his friend. "I have...I have had..." Gaara's words trailed off and he heard Naruto chuckle. "Shut up, Uzumaki."

"Well since you refuse to confess your shortcomings, I'll let you in one of my little secrets…I've never been with another man, so this is new to me as well."

Naruto focused on his hands, which were tracing the curves of Gaara's abdomen, as the Hokage admitted his own inexperience. Touching Gaara was a divine sort of ordeal, one that was wholly addictive to the Hokage. Breathy sounds escaped Gaara's throat as he hummed under Naruto's caress. The sensations of the fingers exploring him made the Kazekage's entire body tense up as taught muscles quivered beneath the fondling of Gaara's porcelain skin. Still…part of Gaara's anatomy nearly ached from lack of attention, and it desired Naruto's nimble fingers so much that Gaara fidgeted about on top of the blond man, hoping desperately that it would soon be released from its confines.

Naruto was very skilled, and a thought danced around in Gaara's head, one that wondered how many people Naruto had actually been with. Just because he hadn't been with a man, didn't mean that Naruto never took any lovers. "Have you been with a woman?" Gaara asked curiously.

Naruto nodded and Gaara instantly felt himself become a little jealous at Naruto's admittance. The Kazekage wasn't sure whether he was envious of the fact that Naruto had been with another person, or that he had more experience. Either way, Gaara tried to shake the pangs of resentment.

"Then how do we do this?"

"I may be inexperienced when it comes to men, but I'm not clueless. You forget that I had to spend years around both my perverted sensei, I think I've picked up enough information to make tonight worth your while. The mechanics are similar...and I've been told that I have very gifted hips."

Naruto mustered as much patience as he could as he waited for the Kazekage to agree to the coupling. Gaara tried to swallow the lump in his throat caused by the suggestion of Naruto's talent, ultimately he did want this. Gaara truly desired to be intimate with his longtime friend…and like they had discussed earlier, perhaps even more than that.

"So you will teach me, and allow me to return the favor?"

"Absolutely, what do you say, are we doing this thing or not?" the blond inquired.

Gaara couldn't find words because he was focused on what Naruto's hands were doing, and only shook his head once in agreement. "I don't suppose that you have any lube, do you?"

Gaara was once again completely wordless and concentrating on the exquisite sensations Naruto caused instead of answering the question. Suddenly the motion stopped. It wasn't until the Hokage quit his ministrations on Gaara that he whimpered ever so slightly and regained enough composure to tell him that he didn't have any of the lube stuff.

Being clueless about why one would need such a thing, Gaara gave a confused look to his partner. "Where would you get this lube?"

"Well, nowhere right now, it's kind of difficult to leave a situation like this...so I will have to improvise. Just trust me." Naruto replied with such a devious grin that Gaara couldn't hold in the perplexed expression, nor did he understand when Naruto pushed the Gaara off of his body and onto the bed. The Hokage stood up from where he had been laying to remove the ripped ceremonial robe and his underwear, leaving him completely nude.

The Kazekage could do nothing more than watch the stunningly handsome man as he began to purge Gaara of the last of his clothing as well. One sandal...then the other...finally leaning over him and lifting Gaara's hips so that pants and undergarments were also shed. The warm night air of Suna enveloped Gaara's body and the Kazekage was sure that the room was spinning...it was hazy, and his entire being tingled with anticipation.

Naruto started by sitting beside Gaara, who was unaware that he was lying on the bed in a most provocative position, and kissed the man's forehead right next to the tattoo that fit the red-head so well. Naruto's lips traveled down to Gaara's temple, to his eyelids, the corners of his mouth, finally resting lightly on the slight crevices of his partner's lips and softly suckling a plump lower lip with his own. Another war waged between the two men's mouths, each trying to engulf the other, each hoping to gain dominance over the situation. Gaara might have been the one chosen to receive, but that didn't mean that the Suna leader would allow himself to be taken so idly by Naruto.

If anything, Gaara's sheer will and determination and the strength that he portrayed through his lips was one of the biggest turn-ons that Naruto had ever experienced with a lover. Kami help him, there was something about the Kazekage that put every nerve ending in Naruto on edge in a wonderfully complete way. His mind…his body…everything wanted Gaara. Naruto broke the kiss and continued downward, focusing his lips on Gaara's neck and shoulders, stopping temporarily to lick a pert nipple and then to bite and kiss its counterpart.

Gaara tried his best to hold back the flood of sounds that Naruto was tempting from him. He thought it indignant for a man to moan and whimper under the caress of another. It was too bad for the Kazekage that Naruto was onto him and was scheming ways to torture him into releasing his true feelings. It wasn't uncharacteristic of someone like Gaara to hold back; in fact, it was expected...but Naruto was determined. Nothing could stop Naruto when he put his mind to it. The Hokage's lips detoured back up to Gaara's ears and nipped and licked the lobes and murmured how much he wanted to hear his lover.

Strong hands very carefully ghosted along Gaara's chest, finding erect nipples to play with as Naruto continued his verbal assault. "I want you to let me know that you like what I'm doing…please Gaara…let me hear you," Naruto pleaded in his lover's ear. He even added a moan of his own to provide an adequate example, then pushed closer to Gaara.

Naruto wasn't sure that Gaara had actually listened until he returned his mouth to the nipple that his right hand had been occupying. When he nipped it fairly hard, and then sucked and lipped it soothingly, Gaara let loose a low whimper and moan.

"That's better," Naruto murmured into the man's soft flesh. The blond rewarded his lover by dipping his head a bit lower and licking and suckling the skin around Gaara's tender navel. By the way the Kazekage squirmed Naruto could tell that he liked this spot quite a bit. The Hokage filed that away for future use and finally allowed his mouth to take the prize that they had both waited so long for…

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**(the next morning)**  
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The two awoke in the morning quite messy (and one a bit sore) when Temari came looking the two missing members of the wedding party. Gaara's sister smirked at them and shook her head. This was something she had never expected, "Shower and get dressed, or you will miss my wedding and I will not have that."

It was a warning, one that both of the young men grumbled about. Temari left and slammed the door behind her. Gaara shifted and found that he had become magically glued to the bedsheets because what was wet and sticky last night was now dried to him in a way that made him feel utterly disgusting. He also winced at the pain as he tried to sit up, "Is it always this messy?" he asked Naruto.

The blond only shrugged and stood up to find something to cover himself with. He found the ripped ceremonial robe and sighed. "I think that Tsunade is going to kill me when I get back, she told me to take care of this."

"Well at least you can sit and walk," Gaara grumbled letting himself flop back down on the bed. Naruto ran into the bathroom that was connected to Gaara's room and cleaned himself up as best he could. Glancing in the mirror it was obvious that Naruto was going to look at least a bit disheveled for the rest of the day. Hurrying back out of the bathroom still completely naked Naruto began his quest for clothing, noting the painful grumbling coming from Gaara who was sprawled out on the bed.

"I'll find you a healer, do you have some clothes I can borrow?" Naruto asked while allowing his eyes to peruse his naked lover. Gaara looked glorious in the morning light, soft rays cast upon the Kazekage's pale skin, his bright red hair mussed and tangled in a way that made Naruto proud to have caused Gaara's unkempt appearance.

Gaara pointed at a nearby dresser and Naruto started digging through clothes that looked like they wouldn't fit him at all. Gaara was thinner than Naruto, but he was also a few centimeters taller. Finally, Naruto settled on something that sort of worked, but left an extra centimeter or two of fabric at the end of the pants and looked a bit too tight on his stocky, muscled figure.

"You look like a fine sand-nin, perhaps there's hope for you," Gaara mused at the man dressed in dark black pants, a mesh shirt, and vest that had entirely too many straps and buckles for Naruto's taste. Gaara continued, "Don't bring me a healer, I don't wish people to know about this situation quite yet...it is Temari's wedding day."

"That's cute, you don't want to ruin your sister's wedding with gossip," Naruto smiled at Gaara as he tried to finish fastening the last three annoying straps on the vest.

"Hmmm, I would rather not be the center of attention when so many people are present. I suppose that it's also for Temari in a way," Gaara replied. "Still, I don't want a healer, I'll be fine."

"If you want to limp everywhere you go and not sit down all day, I'm sure you are right. Don't worry, I have someone that will help you and keep our secret. She is one of the finest med-nin in all the nations, let alone just Konoha...she'll have you doing handsprings before you know it!"

Before Gaara could object, Naruto ran over and kissed him on the forehead (right on his tattoo) and then left the room. Gaara grumbled and tried to muddle through the confusion of last night and this morning. He went from having no one to possibly having someone. Naruto had told him that he hoped that it was more than a one-night event...and that is what he wanted too. Gaara wanted more than just a quick sexual escapade with the Hokage, but Gaara was unsure what that "more" really was. Perhaps this was something to discuss with Naruto after the wedding, before his friend left for home.

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Naruto knocked several times on the door of one of the guest quarters that was near Gaara's room, but received no answer. Cracking it open and peaking inside led Naruto to find the room devoid of its occupant and he grumbled knowing that she was probably already gathering with the other guests downstairs. The Konoha leader didn't want to wander down there in the clothes that he was currently donning. As much as Gaara had liked them, they were obviously the Kazekage's and would arouse suspicion. At the same time his guest quarters were not in this wing, so Naruto couldn't just change into clothing of his own either without the possibility of getting caught.

The troubled young man sat down on the edge of the bed to think when he heard someone entering the room. In the doorway was a young woman with long pink locks that danced around her waist and she was dressed in half black leggings, a fitted deep red shirt that had mesh replacing fabric in key areas, a white brocade sash that was embroidered with pink and red flowers, and finally a gray skirt that had high slits and was placed over the tight leggings. Sakura's ensemble was a mix of things she had worn in her youth and teen years, but now embraced the woman that she was, leaving little to the imagination. Short dark-grey gloves and boots that stopped just below her knees completed the ensemble, making her quite the picturesque woman.

Temari had made her desire for casual attire known many times yesterday, pleading for none of the formality that Suna's elders had tried to force upon her. The Kazekage's sister loathed the elders and did anything to not abide by their rules. Sakura had tried her best to listen, but still looked quite lovely in her outfit.

"Naruto? What are you wearing?" she asked, trying to hold back a snicker. She had never seen the Sixth Hokage wear anything so boldly mesh or lacking in color in her entire life.

"Its...Gaara's," he admitted sheepishly. "I need to ask you a favor...actually, a couple of favors."

"Sure Naruto, what can I help you with?" Sakura asked, lifting her eyebrows in a curious manner.

"I need you to go to my quarters and get me my other Hokage robe, my first one got..." he was scared to know Sakura's reaction, "Well, it got ripped."

"Ripped! How in the hell did you do that?" Sakura sputtered. Tsunade was her current sensei and she knew that as much as Naruto would hear about this, she would hear more. "That was Tsunade's favorite robe, Naruto."

"I know, and I didn't ruin it, Gaara did." When Naruto admitted this Sakura's eyes turned into large green saucers of complete shock...she was starting to put two and two together. "When you come back I'll ask you for the rest of the favor."

Sakura giggled to herself as she hurried to the opposite wing of the mansion, the one where Naruto was staying. She used a jutsu to turn the rather bulky robe into a single flower, something that the kunoichi believed to be quite elegant. Naruto hadn't been thinking straight, if the Hokage had been he would have just transformed himself or performed one of a thousand other jutsu's that would have allowed him to sneak back to his room and change rather than sending Sakura. Then again, there were many high level ninja present that could sense such a trick and might think that it meant danger...so maybe Naruto had been thinking. Changing clothing into something else didn't mask chakra or create a sense of distrust like a transformation would. Sakura was sure of it…Naruto was hiding something and was being very cautious about it. Furthermore, she was almost positive that it involved Gaara and Naruto in a way that she had never thought of the two men before.

Returning to her own quarters where Naruto was waiting, Sakura held out the flower in an outstretched arm. Naruto looked confused, but took it anyway. In a puff of smoke the flower reverted to its previous form and Naruto rolled his eyes at her. "So, what are you trying to hide? What's with the secrecy?" she queried, though Inner Sakura was jumping up and down in her head saying things about Naruto and Gaara sitting in a tree...and it only got more childish from that point.

"I'll tell you if you promise to keep it to yourself. Really, you can't divulge it to anyone." Naruto watched as Sakura smirked and nodded her head vigorously. She always did like to be privy to confidential information. "I need you to heal someone, and you can't tease them. None, not a sarcastic word will leave your lips in their presence," Naruto warned her.

Sakura smiled and shook her head again and made an "x" shape over her chest while saying, "Cross my heart."

Naruto took her by the hand and led her to the end of the hallway. Inner Sakura squealed because she knew whose room this was, it was Gaara's room. She had always suspected that Naruto had an affinity for the guys as well as the girls. This was confirmed as she found a naked Kazekage standing in the bathroom doorway groaning as he dried himself off with a towel.

Gaara had not been able to allow himself to remain in such a dirty state, and had somehow hobbled around enough to strip the soiled bedding off of the mattress and shower before Naruto brought in the so-called healer. The Kazekage almost looked relieved when he realized that Sakura was that person, he hadn't remembered that she Sakura had such talents in the medical profession that were of the caliber that Naruto had bragged them to be. Sakura gave Gaara a slight bow and didn't even seem to notice his nudity, it was clearly just her good bedside manner.

"Good morning, Kazekage," she said smiling at Gaara. "I heard that there is something that you need me to heal."

Gaara's face flushed and he drew the towel around his waist to show at least some level of decency toward the young woman. "Yes, I'm very...sore today." Sakura wasted no time, she knew what he meant and moved closer to him, earning a very cautious look from the red-head as he tensed up.

"Gaara, I promise you that I won't hurt you, nor do I wish to embarrass you. I will simply apply a healing-jutsu and allow you to get dressed," Sakura reassured him.

The Kazekage nodded and the kunoichi slipped her hand around him and laid it on his rear. Gaara nearly choked, he had not expected Sakura to be so forward, but was pleasantly surprised when warm streams of chakra started to repair his bruised and sore flesh. Gaara still held the towel in front of him, and for this he was glad because getting healed in such a way had odd repercussions as a rush of blood flowed south into his abdominal region. He even had to bite back a moan that threatened to escape his throat. It only took about a minute and she was done.

Sakura would never admit this, but it wasn't the first time she had performed such a procedure. Kakashi had actually approached her after an unusually brutal session with a lover one morning about two years ago and asked if she would help. After successfully helped him the first time, he had come to her more and more, allowing Sakura to perfect the technique. She also knew from experience that there was usually a side-effect to this type of healing...one that had actually spurred her into a so-called "situation" between her and her former sensei. It was the major reason that her and Kakashi had been attempting to date recently. Sakura hid a smirk as she could tell that it inflicted Gaara much in the same way that it had the copy-nin.

"I'll send you the bill," she joked as she pulled away.

"Thank you, Sakura. I feel much better, Naruto was right...you're a very talented med-nin," Gaara commended her her.

Sakura smiled at the compliment. Freely giving praise was something a bit unusual for Gaara, but so was the fact that the Kazekage was bedding Sakura's former teammate. She sensed that good things were coming from this union, and was pleased that the two had been willing to give it a try. Most importantly she knew that Naruto deserved to have someone for himself and Gaara did also.

"I'll see you both at the ceremony, you might want to hurry though, it begins in an hour."

Sakura's reminder about the wedding prodded Gaara into getting dressed, pulling out a robe that was as equally ornate as Naruto's and laying it on a nearby chair. Temari hadn't convinced the two leaders to forgo the traditional ceremonial dress, mostly because the elders said that refusing this would bring bad luck to the marriage. Gaara assured Temari that the rest of the guests and the wedding party could wear what they pleased, but he and Naruto would be the sacrifices to appease the cranky old goats.

Sakura watched the two help each other dress and she walked to the door to leave. It was very cute how Naruto was preening the disinterested Kazekage, who had evidently never worn such a robe and had tried to put it on backwards. "Won't you two make a lovely pair," Sakura whispered as she left the room grinning.

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**_END OF CHAPTER_**

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**_A/N's:_** You are probably like, "OMG, where's the lemon, ack?" Yes, there was a lemon in that scene, but I choose to abide by the rules set forth by this site and I will not have explicit lemons in my stories. I understand there are many fics which do that on the site, but they are actually breaking the rules and I don't want to be booted. _**You can read the lemon (and the rest of the entire story) if you go to my author's page and follow the links for Hot Sand.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hot Sand (edited sexless version)  
**_

**_by Lemon Drops/thatreevesgirl (I'm both)  
_**

_**Chapter 3: What a Site**_

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The wedding ceremony had been lovely according to Sakura, the celebration which followed had been adequately rowdy according to Naruto, and now guests were heading to bed as Shikamaru carried his wife upstairs to have their first celebratory night of marital bliss. This wouldn't be their first time together, but it would be couple's first time as husband and wife. Gaara knew this meant something as he watched his servants close off a good portion of one of the mansion's wings to give the two more privacy.

Gaara was standing at the top of the balcony watching his guests, arms crossed, and a scowl gracing his face. It was nearly two in the morning, yet his mansion still hadn't quieted down. Gaara had been waiting to meet up with Naruto and was tired of wearing the stuffy blanket of fabric which the elders called a ceremonial robe. Kankuro laid an arm around his little brother and snickered, "Are you still jealous?"

Gaara hadn't informed Kankuro about being with Naruto the previous night, so he only growled at his brother instead of pummeling him. He did however counter with his own stinging words, "Drunk and alone, Kankuro?"

Gaara's older brother sighed, "That's rather cruel of you, but correct, I have yet to find any suitable partner."

"Probably because you have bedded most of the people here already, and they know better," Gaara's snippy comments continued, and he wore a smug look on his face because the Kazekage knew he would soon seek out Naruto to continue what they had started the night before, and Kankuro would most likely pass out alone in his own room.

"What'd I ever do to deserve such a heartless little brother?" Kankuro grumbled the question to Gaara, and then wandered off, sauntering down toward the remaining crowd of people. Kankuro began attempting to woo any available young woman into his bed, which caused Gaara to shake his head at the pathetic site of his brother as he waited for the people to thin out before heading to the east wing of his mansion.

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Sakura was pissed. She had just seen Kakashi wander off with some Suna bimbo and her boyfriend. Sakura supposed situations like that with Kakashi came with the territory, because whenever he got a little liquor in him, the copy-nin's usual reserved and quiet nature would dissolve and release his inner man-whore. The only solace Sakura could find in the situation was the fact Kakashi became a rabid animal in bed after consuming sake, and the couple he had convinced to join him would probably wake up tomorrow sore and bruised.

Sakura liked Kakashi because he was a good lover, a close friend, and extraordinarily kind to her; but faithful wasn't one of the things which found itself very high on the list of his good qualities. She moped and pouted, because what was the use of coming to such a function with a handsome man if he was just going to run off with the first threesome seeking couple he could find? No doubt he was probably going to try to get them to act out some corny scene from one of his beloved Icha Icha Paradise novels before he banged the ever-loving life out of them. With a drawn out sigh Sakura ran her index finger over her throbbing temple, Kakashi was so stupid and predictable at times. She glanced around the room and saw there was hardly anyone left, other than a few stragglers and some servants that were cleaning up. She was even able to witness Gaara sneaking off toward Naruto's room, knowing full well what they were about to do. She huffed again, and realized she was actually quite jealous of the two.

"Hiya," came a slightly drunk voice from behind her. She didn't want to know what gross, disgusting, old lecher was trying to hit on her this evening. She couldn't take it! It was bad enough she was dating an older lecher already.

Sakura turned around to give the man a piece of her mind, but saw it was Kankuro. He wasn't wearing his normal baggy and horribly fitted hooded jumpsuit-like thing, and his face wasn't painted with stupid looking kabuki paint, in fact, without his normal attire Sakura realized that he looked much like a slightly older—and more handsome in Sakura's opinion—version of Gaara.

"Are you looking for Ino-pig? Because she's already hooking up with Sasuke and some other girl," she said dryly. The only time Kankuro ever sought her out was when he was looking for Ino.

"No, no Ino. I was looking for you," he said smiling, leaning close to Sakura, nearly backing her against a nearby wall.

_Great_, Sakura thought, I _get left by a man-whore and now I am getting hit on by a man-whore_.

For a short minute, Sakura actually thought Kankuro might be more suitable than Kakashi, until she realized she would be trading a man who read smut in public to one who played with dolls...it didn't really seem like much of a trade up. She couldn't help but to sarcastically muse to herself about what a wonderfully pleasant evening she wasn't having. She watched as Kankuro licked his lips, his eyes wholly focused at her breasts. It was so painfully obvious what he was after. "I'm not fucking you Kankuro, so go find some other girl."

"You are all that's left, so just drop this little bullshit act and come back to my room. I'll show you how good I am with my puppets," the come-on which had worked so well in the past for Kankuro only caused Sakura to roll her eyes and try to walk around him to leave. "Hey, wait...come on Sakura!" he pleaded, "I'm…lonely."

"Insert 'horny' for the word 'lonely' and you'd actually be telling me the truth," she replied, trying to get around the man who was blocking her ability to exit again. "I already told you that I won't be that girl, so look elsewhere."

"Fine, then just come talk with me, I'll show you around Suna," he tried.

"At two in the morning...what is there to show me at two in the morning, Kankuro?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms defiantly in front of herself. "I don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere and have you 'show' me something which I've already declined."

"I give you my word that I won't try anything, on my honor as a shinobi. I only want to spend some time with you, though I won't stop _YOU_ if you decide to put moves on me. I'll let you do anything that you want," Kankuro added with a smirk.

Kankuro's eyes gleamed with something which seemed to be undeniably a sincere and truthful glint, but Sakura knew it was a good ninja's job to be able to lie with ease. Replaying his words in her mind, searching for grains of dishonesty, Sakura sighed. It was the last part of his stupid line that made her think that he might be telling the truth.

Sakura knew a statement was usually all lies or all truth, rarely could someone fib so well with the two intermingling. When a person changed gears mid-sentence and went from lie to truth or vice versa there was usually some physical sign they were switching—a hitch in their breath, a shift in eye movement, or a nervous twitch of some kind. The kunoichi was trained to see these things right off, and was highly adept at spotting them. A med-nin like her would be trusted more by an enemy when they were being healed (usually being prepared to endure more torture), than someone who was trying to torment answers out of them. Kankuro appeared to be telling the truth since she had no doubt that the last bit of the statement was nothing but honest.

"Fine...show me Suna, Kankuro. Let's go before I change my mind."

He nearly drug her outside into the warm night air, excited he had finally found someone to be with him (even if it wasn't in the way Kankuro had originally planned). If ever asked, Kankuro would refuse to admit it, but his time conversing with Gaara in the desert earlier made him realize he had his younger brother had something in common...they were both lonely. Like the Kazekage, the puppet-nin desired more, perhaps Sakura could give this to him, to fill the void he had been ignoring for so long.

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Kankuro did an adequate job of performing the role of tour guide as he pointed out some of his favorite sites in Suna. They passed a couple of closed restaurants (which Kankuro claimed were highly enjoyable), a few statues of past Suna elders and people of some importance, and a slew of other landmarks Sakura didn't pay much attention to due to the fact they were difficult to see during the twilight hours.

Then the two ninja visited the Suna Ninja Academy. Kankuro picked a lock and disarmed a few traps to show Sakura his old homeroom, the place where he had been taught the finer points of ninja puppetry. He was like a little kid as he reminisced about days long past. The puppet-nin even had a few stories about Gaara which were wholly embarrassing. Sakura laughed at the accounts of a younger, more violent Gaara, a boy who terrorized the children of Suna. Sakura told herself that she would definitely have to share them with Naruto. The more that she thought about it, Sakura realized Gaara had actually led a pretty sad childhood, not unlike her teammate, who was also shunned...it was uncanny how alike the two really were.

"Did you like school at the Konoha Ninja Academy?" Kankuro asked Sakura. She was impressed he was actually attempting conversation rather than advances. The Kazekage's brother was keeping his promise, and this was getting him points in Sakura's book.

"Of course I did, I was near the top of my class. There wasn't a theory they taught that I didn't master," Sakura said with a gleam sneaking into her eye. In a more Inner-Sakura-like way she smirked and lost herself in her overly-competitive nature, "I blew all of those other genin-wannabees right out of the water, cha!"

Kankuro shook his head at the overly zealous young woman. Sakura now posed with a clenched fist raised in the air and a satisfied look in her eye as she was reminded of her time when she dominated her peers. In the years since then she had been surpassed by many of her friends, so it was nice to think about the days when she could show them all up. Sakura hadn't even realized she had allowed her guard to drop (and let the real her come out) until she heard Kankuro's snickering.

"Shut up, Kankuro," she warned him.

"No...it's nice," he said while scratching the back of his neck nervously and looking at her, "You don't show this side of yourself very often, do you?" Sakura's cheeks turned burned crimson and she shook her head no. "You should, its more fun...not as stuck up."

Sakura had been actually been sort of glad that she had let Kankuro see a true self until he insulted her. She stomped to the doorway of the classroom and folded her arms, "Where next?"

Kankuro looked confused, but figured that something he said upset her. He was never good making normal conversation with women (only propositioning them). There was always something stupid which would slip out of his mouth unconsciously, and usually such things earned him a slap.

Sakura followed Kankuro to the far edge of the village where he stopped and sat down in the sand. "Sit." he ordered her. Sakura didn't comply, she only crossed her arms again and tapped her foot impatiently. Kankuro grumbled and rephrased himself, "Would you please sit, I have something to show you."

Sakura finally listened (against her better judgment) and lowered herself beside the puppet-nin. "What am I supposed to be seeing?" she asked.

"Only the best thing about Suna...a clear desert sky. There is nothing that is more beautiful on a summer night than spending time under these stars." Sakura almost laughed at how cheesy Kankuro's words had sounded, until she glanced over at him to see him gazing up at the sky in complete wonderment. "No trees to disturb the horizon here like you have in Konoha. I never did like it there, always made me feel claustrophobic."

"Trees make you claustrophobic? That's pretty sad," Sakura mocked him.

Kankuro lifted an eyebrow in disdain. He never realized the Leaf-nin had such a sarcastic side to her until tonight. Sakura always seemed so proper and ladylike whenever she accompanied either the Fifth or the Sixth Hokage on diplomatic trips to Suna. He actually had assumed she had a stick up her ass, but she was decent enough to look at, so Kankuro was willing to put up with her.

Watching her now as she tried to figure out what was so great about the stars, he realized that she was not just decent, she was quite beautiful—her long pale rose locks that seemed to both clash with and compliment her tight red tunic and black leggings. Kankuro especially found the high sandals and knee high binding bandages that wound around long slender legs most appealing.

"Eyes off," she warned him. Kankuro hadn't even realized his mental undressing of the young woman had been so obvious, but she was an elite ninja…it shouldn't have been a surprise that she could catch him.

"Sorry," he muttered, returning his gaze to the sky, trying to ignore thoughts of supple curves and soft skin which were now barraging his mind. He really didn't want her to leave, so he forced back his more lecherous urges. "Do you know any constellations?"

"A few, the ones that we were taught to determine direction and time of night, only about two hundred," she replied casually.

"Two hundred is quite a few, Sakura. I don't even think I know that many," Kankuro grumbled. The one thing he didn't like about her was how much of a show-off she was. "Do you ever make up your own constellations?"

"No, why would I?" Sakura asked, skepticism laced in her voice.

Kankuro shrugged at the woman, "I don't know, back when Gaara used to burdened with Shukaku, Temari and I used to take turns watching him at night, making sure that damn demon didn't tempt him to sleep. Sometimes it got really boring, so I made up constellations."

"Any good ones?"

"A few," he pointed to dense patch of stars in the southwest quadrant of the sky. "Those ten stars there that curve around the brightest star in the cluster…I called that one Shukaku."

Kankurou continued to point out stars in different quadrants and tell her the name and history behind why he made up particular constellations. Sakura thought she would be bored after a few minutes, but Kankuro's stories were quite interesting, even though many included lewd references within their back-story. Not that she really minded those things either.

Sakura had long given in to the fact Kakashi, Jiraiya, and even Ino had rubbed off on her during the years. She wasn't sure she liked that Inner-Sakura was too perverted for her own good, and definitely would never admit it to anyone else, especially Kankuro. He would probably see it as an open invitation to let his lecherous side out, and that was something Sakura didn't really want since she was enjoying his company very much at the moment, and Sakura was beginning to see why Ino never turned him down when he visited Konoha, because Kankuro was very charming when he wanted to be.

Sakura was well aware of the puppet-nin's reputation, and honestly, from a female point of view, it was pretty sketchy. He'd taken more lovers than she could count, but more surprising was the amount of return customers the man got…apparently he did something right. Most of the time men such as Kankuro who played women never had lovers revisit for a second round, and then usually avoided rebedding their past flames (like Kakashi, who always had old lovers popping up to try to get him back between the sheets). Then again, few had such talents such as a sharingan or Kankuro's famous double-teaming puppet action with Karasu. To compound how she felt about Kankuro, Sakura could not get Ino's compliments of how the puppet-nin knew exactly the right spots and moves to keep you in a near-orgasmic euphoria for far longer than most men out of her head.

Sakura was mesmerized by him as he spoke, and her eyes started focusing on different features like his eyes, his nose, his strong jawline, even his mouth. Sakura began adamantly staring at Kankuro's lips. They seemed to hypnotize her as they moved rhythmically with his speaking pattern. Usually he had that damn paint on them (she really didn't like kabuki paint at all, it seemed so unnecessary) but Sakura noted that they were devoid of their normal maroon, and further, they were chapped. Kankuro's lips were naked, pink, and chapped.

"What?" Kankuro finally asked her, because she had not made any input into the conversation after many minutes of him talking nonstop.

"Your lips are chapped," Sakura mumbled, embarrassed she had allowed herself to get lost in thoughts about Kankuro's mouth.

"Yeah, it's the desert air. There isn't much humidity here, it comes with the territory I suppose. I usually put something on them, but Temari forbid me to wear it during the ceremony."

"Is it that dumb paint you always use? Is that why you wear it?" she asked curiously.

"Dumb? It doesn't look dumb! And yes, that's the main reason I wear it, for protection against Suna's harsh conditions," Kankuro grumbled at her. He never understood why Temari (and now Sakura) disliked his markings so much, most of the girls he knew found it sexy…well, at least he had thought they did.

"You look better without it, in fact, I think you border on handsome when you aren't slathering on the maroon crap," she told him matter-of-factly.

He wanted to argue the point more, but she had just called him handsome (in an offhand way), so Kankuro kept his mouth shut. Sakura looked at his lips again and Kankuro wished vehemently that she would stop, because it was getting hard to control himself in her presence when she did such things. "I've tried many things, without the paint they are just like this. It's something you accept if you live in a desert."

"Well then you don't have any really good healers in Suna that now how to repair such damage." She scooted her body next to Kankuro. Her eyes very focused now, she brought one chakra laced finger up to Kankuro's lips, tracing over them slowly. Kankuro could feel the roughness disappear under her soft caress, leaving only a warm impression under its wake…one which caused his body to tingle and crackle.

"There, finished."

"Please don't do that again, Sakura," Kankuro whispered, using his hand to lift hers away from his lips. "I'm trying my best to respect your wishes, but you aren't making it easy."

Sakura's eyes widened, she hadn't realized what she was doing (well, she did, but only subconsciously). She was very aware of it now as she noted Kankuro refused to look at her, obviously thinking that ignoring the kunoichi's presence was the best course of action. She wriggled her hand free of his and placed her fingers back on his warm lips, tracing their curvature. Consequences be damned, she wanted to do this, she wanted to touch him. She was still angry at Kakashi, jealous of Naruto, and feeling more than a bit overdue for some human contact.

"Sakura," Kankuro warned her sternly, turning his head to gaze at her. "I can't…please. I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself if you keep doing that."

"Then don't," she murmured as she leaned in closer and moved her fingers from his mouth to his cheek as she caressed him lightly.

This was all the invitation Kankuro needed. He wanted to rush in quickly and ravish her, but used his better judgment and moved toward her with an unhurried deliberateness instead. His hands cupped her face and pulled Sakura to him. Electricity shot between their mouths, making Kankuro groan lightly. His lips raw, highly hypersensitive from Sakura's prior healing. Never before had a kiss been like this, but Kankuro wasn't sure if it was because of what Sakura did or because it _was_ Sakura. The puppet-nin only knew he wanted her, more than he had desired any woman in a very long time.

… … … … … …

… … … … … …

Earlier Naruto told Gaara he was in the diplomatic suite, the one reserved for only the most important guests who visited Suna, a room identical to the Kazekage's, but located on the other side of the mansion. Although Gaara was already aware of Naruto's whereabouts (seeing that it was his mansion, and he had set up the placement of his guests personally) he knew why the Hokage had mentioned it…it was an invitation to join him.

The hallway was dark, quiet, completely devoid of guests. Gaara assumed most were sleeping, though as he passed a room he knew to be reserved for Uchiha Sasuke, he considered there might be another thing that his guests were preoccupied with. This room was far from silent, and there were two easily distinguishable voices other than the Uchiha's...both female. Gaara had never realized Konoha ninja were an even more insatiable group than this own brother and lewd lot of lecherous advisors.

"Gaara, pst, Gaara," a voice from further down the hallway interrupted Gaara's thoughts, but the Kazekage recognized it and wasn't startled. Naruto had already removed the robe he had been wearing, mostly because he didn't want a repeat of Gaara's affinity for property destruction, Tsunade would truly kill him if he returned with both ceremonial robes shredded and in tatters. Naruto stood there only in the pants he had borrowed from Gaara earlier and worn under the robe.

Gaara liked seeing the Hokage in black, it looked much more appropriate than the orange and other bright colored hues Naruto normally adorned himself with. The blond also sported a huge grin which stretched from ear to ear.

"Why are you so happy?" Gaara was glad that Naruto was pleased to see him, but the Hokage's smile was bordering on devious.

"Look what I bummed off Kakashi!" Naruto exclaimed, holding a small tube in his fingers for Gaara to see. In order to be able to tell what it was Gaara had to move closer, and covered the expanse between them in long, smooth strides.

"Lube? Is this the thing you said we needed?" Gaara asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep, now we don't have to improvise. It's made specifically for instances like ours, and works better than the methods I used last night." Naruto grabbed the Kazekage and pulled him into his room, closing the door quietly behind them.

Unlike the previous night, Gaara seemed much more composed (most likely due to the lack of alcohol in his system), and didn't make any move to jump his lover in some drunk or passion-filled guise. He only calmly walked over to the bed and began removing his own robe carefully as he waited for Naruto to join him. Gaara had worn slim fitting black slacks underneath the billowing silk layers of fabric and a skintight black shirt which showed off every well-defined muscle on the Kazekage's chest. Naruto just let himself watch, nearly salivating at the site of his lover undressing.

Gaara continued stripping himself of articles of clothing until he was only in dark maroon boxers, which went well with his fiery colored hair and nearly matched the shade of his forehead's tattoo.

"Are you going to stand there gawking, or are you going to keep your promise to me?"

Naruto gulped, he knew what Gaara was alluding to. He wasn't averse to allowing Gaara to take him, but it somewhat bothered Naruto that he would be Gaara's first. Naruto wasn't sure compassion and tenderness would factor into the Kazekage's sexual strategy as he claimed Naruto's anal virginity. The blond tried to shake away any concerns he had, telling himself that as a shinobi (hell, as the Hokage) he would be able to handle a little pain...even a lot if that is what it came down to.

One slow, deliberate step after another, Naruto ambled over to Gaara, unbuttoning the borrowed pants and pulling them off as he finally joined his lover completely nude on the edge of the bed. He had neglected to borrow underwear from Gaara, having gone commando for the entirety of the day, Gaara hadn't realized and was surprised when the pants had fallen to the floor leaving Naruto's nearly-hard length springing upward. Naruto was unfortunately met with a rigid, immobile partner and awkward silence. If the Kazekage would have been prone to nervous fidgeting he would have been expelling his anxious energy in such a way, but seeing that he was Gaara of the Desert, the sand wielding ninja who ruled over Suna, he did no such thing and allowed the laconic quiet to continue, mulling over the confused thoughts in his head.

Kankuro's voice seemed to be echoing in Gaara's mind, filling it with aggravating advice from moments long past, things Gaara wished he had heeded. Last night had been more than adequate, as he had been on the receiving side of things, but the Kazekage knew it was because of Naruto's sexual adeptness. As much as it was nice, and eventually they would repeat that experience, Gaara was not one to easily give up control and wanted to be the one filling his partner and making him scream. The Kazekage feared Naruto wouldn't get that from him.

Kankuro repeatedly told his younger brother he should just find someone and get initial moment over with, because more often than not a man's first time was merely a learning experience, and not something one would brag about. Gaara rarely let himself get lost in lustful thoughts (like the ones which were now plaguing him as he enjoyed the propinquity of Naruto's nakedness), and hadn't even had much experience with solo action, let alone being hard up enough to go and screw the first person he could find. Gaara could also hear Kankuro warning him not to have it be someone he wanted to see again, because unsatisfied partners rarely came looking for more rounds of disappointment. Gaara didn't think those words were applicable to Naruto, but it worried him all the same.

Naruto made the first advance and moved in toward Gaara, snaking a strong arm around his waist and placing very faint, but well-aimed, kisses between the other man's shoulder blades. Gaara was relieved Naruto had taken the initiative, it spurred him on a bit as Gaara pulled the blond up to his face and started laying fleeting contact between their lips. The kiss deepened and Gaara slipped a tongue into the Hokage's mouth, pushing as far into him as possible and tasting the wet cavern which the Kazekage claimed with much fervor.

Naruto never even guessed that Gaara was plagued by performance anxiety, but perhaps this was because such worries were never visible to those who surrounded the Kazekage. Gaara kept his emotions well hidden, and usually refused to let them interfere at all…but that didn't mean they didn't exist or that Gaara didn't experience the same things every other person did. From the days when emotion was a dangerous thing to allow (due to the presence of Shukaku), Gaara had learned to suppress such things deep within himself and shut them away from the outside world, but Gaara couldn't push away the feelings which Naruto elicited in him. With Naruto he felt safe, even vindicated of his former self. Gaara was sure if he failed miserably in his first attempt of taking his lover that Naruto would just give him a big, stupid smile and tell him he'd do better next time instead of laughing in his face or refusing to see him again. That was simply who Naruto was, and for that Gaara was grateful.

… … … … … …

… … … … … …

Sakura's hair was frizzy and mussed, and she had sand stuck in every place imaginable upon her return to the mansion with Kankuro. Sakura would have to tell Ino she had been right, because the puppet-nin most definitely lived up to his reputation (even without Karasu with him). Kankuro had walked the kunoichi back to his home after their little rendezvous in the desert, holding her hand the entire way back. Sakura was so exhausted that she could do little more than squeeze his fingers and give him a light kiss on his cheek as she told him goodnight.

"I'll walk you to your room, where are you staying?" he asked.

"The west guest wing," she was too tired to argue against his company, but hoped he wasn't looking for round two of what occurred only a short time ago. Kankuro had thoroughly done her in the first time.

When arriving at her door, Sakura motioned to let Kankuro know these were her quarters. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead, "Goodnight Sakura Haruno, I thank you for a wonderfully pleasant evening." Kankuro turned and walked back down the hallway waving at her before he moved out of sight. Sakura knew why so many women sought him out more than once, he was almost as charming after he bedded someone as he was before. On entering her room she entertained the idea of a bath to rid herself of the god-awful itchy sand, but just plopped down on her bed instead and promptly allowed sleep to capture her.

… … … … … …

… … … … … …

Ino returned to her room after an exciting session with Sasuke and a Suna woman who was very lovely and exotic looking. The blond never liked sleeping in the same room as her lovers, especially Sasuke. It only reminded her that Sasuke viewed her as a good fuck, but didn't return any of the feelings she still harbored for the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan. Ino had chose to room with Sakura, and found her friend asleep on the corner of the bed with her legs hanging off the side. Ino smirked, she had expected Sakura to be off in Kakashi's room—that, or Ino had thought that she would come into the room and catch an eyeful of naked copy-nin and Sakura. Unfortunately, it was neither, just an exhausted and oddly positioned Sakura.

Taking off her clothing and putting on a light nightshirt, Ino laughed as she noted her friend's messed hair and smeared makeup. Sakura had been up to something, but not with Kakashi. Sakura always slept next to her ex-sensei after they had sex, and it wasn't like the copy-nin at all to just dump her in the room and leave her here alone.

"Sakura…pst…Sakura," Ino whispered poking at her friend's arm. "Hey, forehead, wake up."

"Shut your yap Ino-pig. I'm sleeping," Sakura grumbled but not moving.

"You better move your big butt, you sleep all night like that and you'll be sore tomorrow," Ino warned.

"I'm going to be sore anyway," Sakura muttered. Ino sat down beside Sakura and tried to think of a way to wake her and get the details of whatever juicy gossip she could. The corner of the bed where she sat had grains of sand scattered on the bedspread.

"Sakura! You are getting sand in bed! Get up right now!" Ino was not patient when it came to dealing with the uncomfortable granules that she always seemed to get in her bed whenever Kankuro…wait. Ino's face lit up as she finally realized what happened. There was only one man in Suna that had a penchant for making love in the sand in such a way that you would find it everywhere and in every crevasse for a solid week, but made you too tired to care.

"Sakura, did you steal away my Kankuro?" Ino asked with devilish glee. Honestly the man was a good fuck, but not Ino's type. She was still secretly hoping to sway Sasuke.

"No, he said he was looking for me," Sakura mumbled.

"He was looking to get laid, and you let him. Good for you, making progress I see." Ino was glad Sakura was bedding someone other than Kakashi, he was never going to settle down, and Ino could tell that her friend was getting too attached to her former sensei. "Was he as good as I told you?"

"Better," was Sakura's only reply.

"Maybe you and I can double team him and Karasu next time he's in Konoha," Ino suggested. She received a glare from Sakura that told her that she wasn't interested in threesomes (or foursomes if you counted Karasu). "Hmph, your loss. I could give you a working over that would have you screaming for days."

"Dirty tongues for dirty deeds, you are such a pervert Ino," Sakura chuckled trying to sit up. "But thanks for insisting I try him, I don't think I would have given him a chance if not for your glowing recommendation."

"You are very welcome, but I am curious to know why you weren't with Kakashi," Ino said this slowly and watched for her friend's reaction. It was as she expected, at the mention of the copy-nin's name Sakura fell back to the bed pouting. "Did he leave you for someone else again?"

"Yes, two someone else's. I think that my refusal to do a threesome with him will be my undoing."

"You can do better, there are many other ninja in the sea, and there's always Kankuro when you're looking for a little carnal comfort. The best thing about that man is he takes requests. He'll do you in any way you please, unlike a very domineering ex-sensei of yours who relishes being in control and who didn't even get you off last time you slept with him," Ino prodded.

"Hey, it was after a really difficult mission, I was tired and didn't want to in the first place. I just let him…"

"Exactly, he didn't listen to you, he never listens to you. He may be a good friend and a decent lover, but you can do better." Sakura scowled at Ino's words, but knew she was right. She and Kakashi weren't going to work out, no matter now hard Sakura wished it would.

A tear slipped down Sakura's face, she didn't know the realization would sting as much as it did. "I know that Ino, but I was hoping…"

Ino laid down next to her friend, hugging her. It was never fun to have your heart broken, but Ino was grateful it had happened now before Sakura's feelings had intensified.

"Thank you," Sakura whispered to her friend as she let herself fall back asleep within Ino's comforting embrace. Ino smiled at Sakura, she was such a kind soul, she deserved a kind person to love her back. It was too bad Ino liked men too much, and Sakura didn't like women at all, because Ino would have tried to be that person.

* * *

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

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_**Author's Notes: Read the lemon version at AdultFanFiction (link in my author's page) **_

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	4. Chapter 4

_**Hot Sand**_

**_by Lemon Drops_**

**_Chapter 4: Return to Konoha_**

* * *

Ino woke first, finding herself still wrapped around Sakura. It was nice to be greeting by the morning in such a way, and Ino wished desperately that Sasuke would realize that she was right for him so Ino could wake up with him in this manner. It was still pleasant with Sakura, because her friend was very dear to her. Ino leaned in to the other kunoichi's face and lightly let her lips brush over Sakura's. When Sakura didn't stir she kissed a little harder, firmly placing her lips against the other woman's. Sakura's eyes flew open and found Ino caressing her cheek and making out with her as she slept.

Pulling away Sakura shrieked, "Ino! What are you doing?" Ino looked hurt, she knew that her friend didn't like women, but thought that maybe since it was her Sakura might make an exception. Sakura waited for an answer that didn't come so she rephrased her question. "What in the world possessed you to kiss me?"

After a few more moments of silence, Ino released an angry reply. "I'm sleeping with an ass that doesn't care about me further than he can fuck me, and I'm here with my closest friend and I think…maybe…maybe there's happiness for me with someone that I already love and who loves me," Ino said, tears in her eyes. "You know, you aren't the one who gets hurt in love. Kakashi isn't the only specimen of the male species that tends to be more trouble than he's worth. In fact, I think that he and Sasuke should start a club."

Sakura realized quickly that this was Ino looking for comfort, someone to be there for her in a time when she was in pain, not necessarily pursuing Sakura sexually. "Ino…I'm sorry. I didn't realize at all what you were going through. And you're right, those two should start a club," she joked hugging her hurt friend.

"I do wish that I could just fall in love with you, Sakura, because we fight and yell…but at the end of the day you and I understand each other and I feel like I could be with you," Ino sobbed into Sakura's shoulder. "Why do I fall for people that can't love me? What is wrong with me?"

Sakura was taken aback by Ino's words…she was serious…Ino had feelings for her. Sakura didn't know what to say to her friend (and was honestly too confused to think of anything), so she simply held Ino and rocked back and forth until her friend's tears stopped and the blonde woman got up and walked toward the bathroom. Ino…that was definitely a wrench she hadn't expected to be thrown her way.

Naruto's bags were packed and he waited at the doorway of the mansion for Sakura. He traveled a bit heavy on this trip due to the fact that he had to bring along Hokage formal apparel (some of which was in ruins thanks to Gaara). Joining her friend, Sakura sighed and picked up a bag that Naruto was unable to juggle. "You travel like a girl," she muttered, frustrated that she would have to help Naruto lug his crap back to Konoha.

Naruto noticed her small, single pack and grumbled, "And you don't." She laughed and gave him a punch in the arm, playfully teasing him. The wedding guests from Konoha would return in shifts to in order to lessen the possibility that there would be an attack that wiped out the lot of them entirely. It was a tiny and very remote possibility, but one that Tsunade informed them they must avoid. The Sixth Hokage, Naruto, was to return in the first group under the protection of at least two capable members. Originally, it had been Sakura and Kakashi that would accompany him back, but instead found Sasuke replacing Kakashi at the last moment due to Kakashi's unknown whereabouts (though it was secretly confirmed that he was still with the couple he had left the wedding with). Sakura didn't mind the substitution (actually she appreciated it). Sakura did not want to deal with Kakashi so soon after her realization that she had put too many feelings into the situation with her ex-sensei.

Naruto waved at Sasuke who was coming down the stairs of the diplomatic wing with a dark haired woman still clinging to him as he seemed completely cold and disinterested in her presence. "What an ass," Sakura muttered to herself, earning a confused look from Naruto.

"What did he do now?" Naruto asked, but Sakura huffed and refused to answer. The blonde man just laughed a bit and asked the two if they were ready to leave. Naruto had said his goodbyes to Gaara privately earlier in the morning, the Kazekage still hoping to avoid unwanted attention. The three set out for Konoha, making it to the edge of town when one of Naruto's bags had a strap that broke. Fiddling with it and finally attaching it with a knot Naruto grumbled at the formalities required of a Hokage and pulled the bag onto his back again. The three leaf ninja had almost sprinted off into the desert, but were stopped by the images of two men waiting at the village's end. Naruto smiled as he saw one was Gaara, and he snickered as he realized why his lover had come out to see him off even though they had already said goodbye. He wanted to show off in front of his brother.

Sakura gleamed, it was Kankuro. Most likely he was only present to accompany Gaara, but it was nice to see him again…and without his normal maroon makeup. Sakura smiled at the man, satisfied with just the sight of the puppet-nin, but Kankuro apparently had other plans for Sakura as he strutted up to her and pulled her into a passionate embrace that made the three other men gawk in confusion.

Gaara fumed, he had convinced Kankuro to come with him so he could do show his brother that he wasn't alone…that he had Naruto…not so Kankuro could maul Sakura. Naruto grinned, glad to see that Sakura hadn't let Kakashi get her down, also decided that he wasn't going to let his pink-haired friend be the only one that said goodbye to their lover in such a way. Gaara found himself being pushed against a nearby hut and then was nearly ravished by a very handsome Hokage.

Sasuke could only stare. He was confused, completely and utterly confused to why Naruto was kissing Gaara and why Sakura was making out with Kankuro. He rolled his eyes and figured that he must not have been the only one to hook up in Suna. Kankuro and Sakura kind of made sense…she did have a thing for lecherous men. But Gaara and Naruto on the other hand was a pair that he never in his wildest dreams saw coming. Obviously, Kankuro was a bit shocked by it as well as he and Sakura broke their kiss to ogle the groping session that was occurring against the nearby building. And it WAS a groping session, made complete when Gaara grabbed Naruto's jacket with his fingers and accidentally ripped it while in the throes of passion, just like he had done with the Hokage robe. Naruto broke their kiss, "Dammit, Gaara! What is with your penchant for ruining my clothing?"

Gaara grinned sinisterly at Naruto and shrugged, letting the blond walk back towards his group cursing at the new hole that was torn in his favorite jacket. Kankuro was still letting his mouth gape open in shock as Sakura gave him one more quick kiss goodbye. Her lips reawakened him to reality, and he tugged her back by her arm and whispered in her ear, "I'll come visit you in Konoha soon." The puppet-nin kissed her forehead lightly and told her goodbye.

The three Leaf ninja left while Gaara and Kankuro watched their images quickly become specks along the horizon. "I didn't think you'd have it in you," Kankuro muttered to Gaara, who was smiling like he'd won a bet. "Are you still a virgin, baby brother?"

"Not in any sense of the word, Kankuro," Gaara told him, not at all hiding the pride in his voice.

"That's good, you needed to get laid," Kankuro said slapping Gaara on the back in a very brotherly fashion. It didn't even irritate Gaara…in fact, he found comforting that his brother was happy for him.

"I didn't think that you'd actually be able to win over someone like Sakura. She looks like she's getting attached," Gaara said eyeing his brother. Something told the Kazekage that Naruto would let him hear about it if his brother hurt Sakura.

"Hmm…you think?"

"Seems so, at least the best I can tell," Gaara muttered, hiding the fact that he definitely recognized the signs that the kunoichi was falling for his brother. He had seen it happen many times before, and Kankuro had broken many hearts.

Gaara wasn't expecting the next thing to slip from Kankuro's lips. "It would be nice…" he murmured. "It would." It was definitely a stance that Kankuro had never taken even in the slightest with a woman, so it surprised Gaara to find that his brother might have found someone as well.

"Where is your kabuki paint? You look odd without it," Gaara informed his brother.

"She doesn't like it, so I'll have to find something new I suppose," Kankuro answered. With that the conversation was done as the puppet-nin headed back toward the mansion. Gaara smirked in a very devious and ominous way that was reminiscent of his youth. His brother was in love, and that was quite funny to the Kazekage.

"I want details," Sakura told Naruto as they leapt from tree to tree.

"No details," Sasuke warned, but Naruto ignored him completely.

"Um, well…we had sex," Naruto said hesitantly, feeling odd that he was sharing this with Sakura. He usually discussed such things such as sex with his pink-haired friend, but couldn't help but feel a little odd describing how Gaara had screwed him last night.

"And?" Sakura prodded

"No ands," Sasuke muttered, trying to move ahead of the two and remove himself from the conversation.

"And it was nice," Naruto responded.

"Oh come on! It's every kunoichi's wet-dream to hear about the Kazekage and the Hokage getting it on. Spill it blondie!" Sakura ordered.

Naruto laughed at her, "Well, which night do you want to hear about?"

"Both." Sakura's succinct reply bordered demanding and Naruto continued to withhold the details of his and Gaara's coupling.

"Hmmm, first I think I want to hear a little bit about you and Kankuro," Naruto teased her.

Sakura smiled, thinking of the puppet-nin that she had spent the previous night with. "He was a nice distraction. Did you know that he has a seven inch scar on the right cheek of his buttocks?"

"No, I didn't…and very naughty that you do know. I take it that you fully fell victim to the charms of Kankuro?"

"Oh yes, fully fell for his game hook, line, and sinker…but I'm aware that it's nothing serious," Sakura replied.

"That's what you said about Kakashi," Sasuke muttered, who apparently fell back after hearing that his friends were discussing Sakura's love life rather than Naruto's. "You are rather foolish in love."

"And you are an ass!" Sakura sputtered at her other teammate. Sasuke had picked a bad day to involve himself in relationship-giving advice.

"Huh?" The Uchiha looked genuinely confused to why Sakura had reacted in such a way. She usually took his opinion on men quite seriously, so he didn't understand why she was yelling at him.

"Stop sleeping with Ino!" Sakura shouted, "You are breaking her heart. She has loved you since we were kids and all you ever do is use her. In fact, all you ever do is use women…must be that icy Uchiha heart, too cold to love anyone."

Sasuke was flabbergasted and didn't even know where to start with his rebuttal. He wanted to shout back at Sakura and tell her that she was very wrong about him, but everything that she said was basically true. He didn't love any of the women he was with and he was just using Ino for sex. "Fine, I'll leave her alone," Sasuke growled and left the conversation at that since he didn't feel the need to apologize.

"Good," Sakura hissed.

"So, uh…Gaara…" Naruto tried very hard to change the direction of the group's dialogue, "Did you know that he's a natural red-head?"

Sakura had been fuming over her exchange of words with Sasuke, but giggled when she heard Naruto confirm Gaara's hair color to be genuine. "So who did what?" she asked, because the one thing that definitely plagued her was which one of the two was going to relinquish control in the situation. Her money was on Gaara being the dominant member of the couple.

"Well, he was a virgin…" Naruto's words were cut short when Sasuke fell off of the tree that he was flying toward and tumbled to the ground.

"Gaara was a what?" shouted the Uchiha who had easily landed on the ground and was brushing himself off while his two companions waited patiently for him.

"Yep, totally a virgin…hadn't even kissed anyone. I kissed him, and then I got top that night," Naruto grin was so wide that it bordered on the look of a cheshire cat. Sakura and Sasuke's mouths were completely agape. Neither had assumed that Gaara of the desert would be a virgin, and definitely not one that would let Naruto fuck him. "Don't look at me like that, guys. He and I are sharing."

"I feel like I'm in some perverse version of kindergarten back at the academy…sharing…oh kami help me," Sakura said as Sasuke leapt up into the tree beside Naruto and her.

"Yep, that's why last night…" Naruto turned red and his words trailed off.

"Someone got repaid?" Sakura asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, that's a good way of putting it," Naruto mumbled. "But it was good, both times. Unusual, but nice."

"I always thought that you were part girl," Sasuke hissed in a teasing and mocking way. That earned him one of Sakura's earth shattering punches to his jaw and he fell out of the tree for a second time and this time landed on his back. Sasuke looked up at Sakura with his eyes wide, she had caught him completely off guard. His female teammate usually reserved such reactions for Naruto, not him…and even when she did come at him it was usually easy enough for Sasuke to avoid.

"You are such an insensitive ass!" the pink-haired woman growled, "saying things like that are not appropriate."

Naruto put a hand on Sakura's shoulder trying to calm her down. "It's okay, really. It's just Sasuke's way of joking with me. Settle down." After a little bit of silence Naruto decided to break the heavy tension of the group and continued his story, "I didn't think that it would hurt as much as it did, it took awhile for it to feel good."

"What did you expect, dobe? Or had you done it before?" Sasuke asked as he once again returned to the tree branch.

"No, I hadn't done that before. I haven't ever been with a guy. I tell you everything, so you should already know that," was the blonde's retort.

"Hmph, yeah, well if it might have been something that you kept secret."

"You know that I wouldn't!" Naruto was about to release Sakura and let her go at it with Sasuke. He really was being a bastard today. Sasuke was one of the few people in the world that knew that Naruto might actually be interested in a relationship with another man. This was because of a situation that the two never spoke of…about a night that started with too much sake that ended with them making out in Sasuke's bed and nearly taking it to that next step until Sasuke freaked out.

"So, technically, Gaara took your virginity too," Sasuke laughed at the thought and had to dodge Naruto's fist that was aimed for his head.

"Awww…so cute, someone lost his virginity last night," Sakura added to the teasing. Naruto grumbled and tried to not let his friends bother him too much. He was sure that this would not be the first time that he would be subject to such banter if he was going to be involved with Gaara. Naruto didn't respond verbally, only moved to continue back toward Konoha, trying to ignore Sakura and Sasuke's laughter as they hurried through the trees.

* * *

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

* * *

**A/N's:** I was going to proof this again before I posted (proofed it a long time ago when I wrote it, but not since I've let it sit for 2 months), but I am tired. If you see errors, please let me know, because this isn't beta'd. 

This chapter never had sex in it, so it wasn't edited for content. Remember that you can read all 21 chapters of Hot Sand over at AdultFanFiction if you just follow the links in my author's page.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hot Sand _**

**_Chapter 5 _**

**_by Lemon Drops/thatreevesgirl (both me)_**

* * *

Naruto, who had been lying on the side of Sasuke's body as he explored the Uchiha, lifted himself up onto his hands and crawled up and captured Sasuke's lips with his own. The kiss wasn't hard, but expressed Naruto's need for his friend very clearly. Sasuke hummed against the mouth that was suckling his lower lip. The faint flavor of sake was present on the blonde, easily distinguishable from the distinct taste that was uniquely Naruto. Sasuke loved the way that Naruto tasted, it was salty, but surprisingly unlike what Sasuke had assumed the blonde would tasted like. It wasn't ramen or food at all, it was completely and entirely Naruto. 

Naruto repositioned himself so that he was half on Sasuke, but not completely straddling him. Something told Naruto that he should take things slowly with his friend, he didn't want to spook the man. Naruto's left leg was between Sasuke's and the Uchiha's hardness was rubbing against him, but not in any way that made Naruto think that Sasuke was making the movement consciously. The kiss that they had been sharing was broken as Naruto moved his lips off of Sasuke's mouth and traced his jawline with light kisses until he found a place on Sasuke's neck that made the man writhe beneath him. Lazing about a bit and maintaining the barrage on Sasuke's neck, Naruto's hand slowly crept lower until it was sitting on the Uchiha's hip. Naruto bit down on Sasuke's neck to distract him as spry fingers grasped Sasuke's straining member through layers of fabric.

Sasuke's eyes grew wide and hands flew to Naruto's chest, pushing him off as the raven haired man tried to escape the situation that he was now very aware off.

"Sasuke…" Naruto quietly whined, attempting to anchor himself on top of Sasuke and keep him from leaving.

"What in the hell are we doing?" Sasuke shrieked, pushing harder against Naruto's body until he forcibly removed his friend from himself. Sasuke found his way to the edge of the bed and stopped, sitting and gripping the quilt that was on top of his with white knuckled fingers. Naruto was left alone in the middle of the very large bed as he saw Sasuke's shoulders heaving as he tried to suck air into lungs.

"Sasuke…" Naruto attempted again, moving slowly toward the other man.

"Leave." Sasuke's single word was menacingly deep, gravelly and spoken in tones that said that there would be no more coupling between them, not tonight…not ever.

Naruto shook his head, only wishing that Sasuke would let himself be freer with his emotions. Naruto knew that since his return to Konoha Sasuke had done nothing but be involved with frivolous relationships that had the sole purpose of carnally pleasing the Uchiha. Naruto's friend didn't allow himself more, and had admitted to as much earlier when the two had been sharing a bottle of sake in Sasuke's den. Sasuke had told Naruto how he wished that he could let himself love someone and that he was very lonely. This of course came out in drunken ramblings, but that is the thing with alcohol influenced divulgences…they were usually true. That is why, uninhibited thanks to the alcohol, Naruto had kissed his friend, attempting to show Sasuke that there was more for him if he wanted it.

Naruto crawled off the bed and left, it broke his heart to do so, but it was for the best. Sasuke wouldn't allow any more between them. Sasuke never spoke of the moment that he almost…well, almost allowed himself happiness. Neither did Naruto, after that day they were once again teammates and friends, but not lovers and never in love.

* * *

(end flashback) 

"Sakura!" Naruto whined as she poked and prodded him with pins. Naruto didn't like his friend's new hobby, seeing that he was always her guinea pig.

"Shush, it's only going to be a few more minutes," Sakura told him as she draped a long piece of fabric over his chest and pinned it to another one.

"You need a boyfriend, because this sewing thing is not fun for me. You are deadly with those pins," the blonde said wincing as his chest was stabbed by another misaligned pin…one that he was sure missed its destination on purpose. "Why don't I send you to Suna to…uh…check up on Gaara. You can visit Kankuro, he asks about you whenever I visit the Kazekage."

Sakura pushed another pin past its mark and pricked Naruto at the mention of Kankuro's name. It had been three months since Shikamaru's and Temari's wedding. She had somehow found ways to avoid being Naruto's advisor on the many so-called diplomatic trips to Suna. Sasuke's warning about her being stupid in love was right, and she didn't need to fall for another lecherous man. Trying to get over Kakashi was difficult enough, even sparring her into her new obsession…sewing.

"You would think that someone that is a brilliant surgeon and an elite kunoichi would be able to handle a couple of pins better," Naruto growled as he was stuck again by Sakura. "You suck at sewing Sakura, go see Kankuro."

"No," she muttered at the blonde, tugging at the makeshift shirt and raking pins on Naruto's skin. "Besides, you are a little low on clothing if my memory serves me correctly."

"Stop that!" Naruto growled, swatting her hands away. "It hurts when you do that. You aren't supposed to leave the pins in like that, they poke your client when you do."

"And what do you know about sewing?" Sakura asked, grinning devilishly since she already knew the answer.

"I have spent more time in a tailor's shop in the past three months than I have in a lifetime. Gaara's biggest turn on is ripping my clothes off of me. I can't get naked fast enough for him. So I know how this is supposed to be done, missy, and you are TERRIBLE at it." Naruto gave her a warning stare. "If it helps I'll schedule another diplomatic meeting between Suna and Konoha…you can be my advisor."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Twenty-some meetings between Konoha and Suna since the wedding, the last of them being only the previous week. "Do you really think you need to meet with the Kazekage again so soon? Why don't you just go visit him as a normal person?"

"Because then I don't get the Hokage perks…paid absence and everything," Naruto told her with a sinister grin.

"You abuse your power," Sakura muttered at her friend. "I don't think that the people of Konoha like paying for your vacations to bang your boyfriend."

Naruto had actually taken offense to the last part. "I do accomplish stuff when I'm there Sakura. There have been really good things that have come from our newly reaffirmed alliance with Suna. I am a politician and a leader, I know my responsibilities. Besides, I always use it as an opportunity to do multi-lateral talks with other nations as well…ones that might not be as willing to meet with Konoha, but accept it if it is in the presence of Suna."

Sakura gaped at her friend, when had Naruto become such a great leader? Tsunade had been right in promoting Naruto to Hokage, it was a decision that had benefited Konoha in many ways. Naruto leaned down to Sakura's ear and added with a smirk that spelled trouble, "But I never mind having the added chore of private negotiations with Suna. I wonder what I can get out of the dealings this time?"

Sakura marked a couple of places on the material with tailor's chalk and started removing pins. "I think that you'll probably end up with another ripped shirt and a sore bum, but that is just my opinion."

"Aw, but such concessions are worth it," Naruto said gleaming.

Sakura mused at the blonde, removing the pieces of fabric from his bare chest. "Naruto?" she began, "Do you love him?" Naruto didn't answer with words, only gave her a big smile and a wink. One that could be interpreted in many ways, but Sakura knew that it was Naruto's private way of telling her, 'Of course I do.'

"So are you coming to Suna with me?" he asked. Glad to be free of Sakura's harem of pain, otherwise known as her sewing hobby. Naruto stretched his arms over his head and gave a lazy yawn as he waited for Sakura's answer.

"Do I really have a choice?" she whispered, knowing that if she said no, Naruto would probably just order her along anyway.

"Nope, but I think you want to answer yes, so I'll let you."

Sakura glared at Naruto, trying to hold back a smile that was tempting her lips. "Fine, I'll go with you to Suna. I don't have anything better to do."

* * *

The sun was beating down from overhead as they knocked on the door of Gaara's mansion. Sakura wondered how it could be that it was approaching Suna's coldest months of the year, but it was still very warm out…much warmer than the fall season in Konoha. Naruto and her were greeted by several servants who quickly took their bags away and then escorted the two Konohans to a couple of diplomatic suites. Sakura noted that they weren't in the fanciest wing, and wondered who else was present for the talks that Naruto had alluded to. 

"There is water prepared in the bath," a woman told Sakura, one that the pink-haired kunoichi recognized as Sasuke's Suna trophy from the last time she was here. "You may freshen up before meeting with the Kazekage."

The woman bowed at Sakura and Sakura returned it with a slighter dip, one that acknowledged the woman and thanked her for the kindness. Sakura began stripping herself of clothing as soon as the door shut. Traveling to Suna was no easy feat, and her garments were dusty and reeked of sweat. Unbinding her breasts, Sakura allowed herself to be completely nude before entering the bathroom, which took her breath away when she saw it. Marble tiles everywhere, and a marble tub that was at least three feet deep and six feet in diameter was in the middle of the room. Sitting down on a stool to clean and rinse off before entering the bath, Sakura brushed her body with a soaped cloth.

Her mind was tired, but still racing with thoughts that both delighted and troubled her. She was going to see Kankuro again during the trip, and she wasn't sure how the sand-nin was going to react to seeing her. Sakura was sure that if she really wanted to she could get Kankuro into bed with her…but that wasn't really what she wanted from the situation. Thoughts of Naruto and Gaara plagued her, weaseling their way into her head and making her jealous. She wanted something like the two of them had…a romance that was at the very least palpable. Sakura desired more than what she had just quit with Kakashi, but knew that Kankuro would never be able to give her that. She internally cursed and thanked Sasuke for his pessimistic views on love, and the insight that he had shared about her. Without his sharp words vexing her thoughts, Sakura might not be as clear minded as she was.

Finally clean, Sakura walked over to the bath and dipped low into the warm water. Though love might not find her on this trip, it was certainly nice to enjoy the perks of being a diplomatic advisor.

* * *

**  
**  
Naruto's bath hadn't been quite as relaxing, because an already naked Gaara was lounging in his suite's marble tub. "Don't you have a bath of your own?" he asked his lover, glad that his clothing had already been removed in his room. Naruto soaped up and rinsed quickly before joining the impatient looking Kazekage in the warm water. Sinking down into a straddling position on top of Gaara, Naruto found the man completely devoid of his sand barrier. Gaara's skin was slick and soft, not at all having its normal slight pebbly texture that was the sand that covered Gaara's body. It was enough to make Naruto harden under the knowledge of the unexpected consistency of Gaara's skin. 

Gaara didn't make any motion toward Naruto, only eased himself back and cocked his neck to the side, revealing his flesh in a trusting way. Naruto needed no further invitation as his mouth gravitated toward Gaara's pulse point. Between the Kazekage's neck and his navel, Naruto knew that he could bring Gaara to completion without ever brushing against his lover's length or even kissing him. Gaara squirmed as Naruto worked feverishly on his neck, letting out low moans of content and then weaving his hands around Naruto's hips in the water and pulling the man into a grinding frenzy with him. The contents of the bath caused resistance that slowed the two men's movements a bit as they sloshed water from the tub and onto the floor. The friction that was normally furiously heated, was smooth and languid thanks to the bath.

The Kazekage always enjoyed the first fuck between them after an absence. There was almost an animalistic need that was shared yet not spoken about linking the two. But it wasn't his favorite type of coupling by far. The best sex that he and Naruto shared always came after their initial meeting. It was always tender and loving and had been completely foreign to Gaara, but Naruto was a good teacher. The blonde never allowed Gaara to push him away. Gaara had tried, the first few times that Naruto insisted on sex that wasn't a lustful panic it had scared the Kazekage. This kind of sex required trust and emotion…something that Gaara had never thought he desired to be party to…but he had. This was Gaara's favorite, and most of the time it was Naruto that led the coupling, taking Gaara as his own. Gaara kissed Naruto's forehead as the blonde lay limply against his chest, still too exhausted to move. The Kazekage whispered nearly inaudible words that made Naruto smile vehemently and kiss his lover back.

* * *

**A/N's:** I cut some sex out of here too, man, Hot Sand requires lots of editing to be on The good new is that you can read it in its entirety at AFF (link on my profile). I posted a chapter from Hot Sand II today and it made me think, hey, maybe I should get my butt in gear and post more here. 


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hot Sand _**

**_Chapter 6  
_**

**_by Lemon Drops/thatreevesgirl (both me)_**

* * *

After her bath Sakura found a nemaki robe placed out on her bed by the housekeeping staff. She smiled at the pretty pattern and embroidered design on it and put the sleeping garment on, further enjoying the hospitable nature of Gaara and his home. It was soft and light and just warm enough that Sakura knew she would enjoy a wonderful night's sleep in her large bed which had light silky sheets and light comforter made for the cool fall nights in Suna. The pink-haired woman was just about to crawl into bed when there was a knocking at her door. Assuming that it was Naruto coming to speak with her or more maid service Sakura ran to answer it and found Kankuro waiting for her on the other side. 

Kankuro didn't say anything at first, only looked at Sakura with lustful eyes that told the Leaf kunoichi that the puppet-nin had definitely come looking for a booty-call.

"I missed you," Kankuro whispered, pushing his way into the room and placing his hands on Sakura's shoulders lightly, but not moving any further than that.

Sakura didn't really know what to say in return. She wanted to tell him that she missed him too or perhaps just pull him over to the bed and let Kankuro do whatever he so desired to her…but remembering her vow to give up lecherous men Sakura only murmured a soft, "Hello, Kankuro."

Kankuro removed one of his hands from Sakura's shoulder and shut the door that was behind him. Sakura sighed and looked at her feet…she wasn't looking forward to having to kick him out. Kankuro pulled back and reached into his pocket, taking out a small long box. "This is for you," he told her with a smile.

Sakura's eyes rose from the floor and crept to the box in the man's hand as she eyed it cautiously, "What is it?"

"Open it and find out," he told Sakura nudging it in into the woman's fingers. "I made it for you."

Sakura grinned slightly as she undid a silk ribbon that was tied in a bow and opened up the giftbox. Inside was a beautiful miniature version of herself made out of a warm toned wood that was smooth and polished. The details were divine and obviously painstakingly carved. There were joints and strings attached, and as Sakura picked it up to examine it closer she realized that it was a tiny marionette. "This is amazing Kankuro, thank you."

Kankuro leaned in and kissed her forehead lightly, running one of his hands through Sakura's still moist hair. His lips lingered on her skin, and she noted that though he wasn't wearing the kabuki paint, his lips weren't chapped in the slightest. This thought made her smile, he either had found another method to protect himself from the sun or had removed the unsightly paint for her. A shudder ran through her spine as Sakura felt the heat seeping from Kankuro into her, because the man was only inches from her body and creeping closer every second that passed.

"Kankuro…" Sakura started, but was swiftly interrupted by the Suna man.

"I've missed you very much," he murmured against her skin, his lips so close to her that Sakura felt the warm air of each word as he spoke.

"Please Kankuro…" Sakura said sadly, "I was just about to go to sleep."

"Oh."

The surprise and hurt in the man's voice was evident as he understood that Sakura wanted him to leave. Pulling back a bit Kankuro looked at Sakura as she kept her gaze on the floor. "Did I do something wrong?"

Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat and ran her fingers across the doll that was still in her hands. "No, not at all…it was just a very long trip and I'm extremely tired," she murmured.

"Oh," came Kankuro's response again, this time a little less disappointment lingering in his voice. "Well, good night then Sakura. Um…Sakura…can I take you out to breakfast tomorrow?"

Sakura was going to say no…she was going to be firm and refuse Kankuro before this situation got any further out of hand. He was giving her gifts for Kami's sake and kissing her sweetly and making her feel things that Sakura didn't wish to feel for a man that was just going to leave her eventually. She **_was_** going to say no…"Yes, that sounds nice," Sakura heard herself say.

Kankuro let out a big sigh and grinned, obviously thinking that he hadn't been refused and the reason why Sakura was asking him to leave was simply because she was tired. "I'll come back at eight in the morning, unless you want more time to sleep?"

"No, eight will be fine," Sakura told him with a forced smile, one that she knew was too fake and too sugary, but Kankuro didn't seem to notice.

Kankuro leaned in and kissed her on the cheek and then stroked the place where his lips had just touched her skin lightly with his fingers. "Good night," he whispered in her ear before turning around and letting himself out.

Sakura held her breath for a good minute, watching the door that had just closed with watery eyes until her brain demanded oxygen and ordered her lungs to expend the air she was trapping within them. With a loud sigh which was quickly followed by Sakura attempting to suck new air into her chest, but feeling too trapped to breath properly. Sakura found herself sputtering and nearly hyperventilating. This was bad…very bad. Waiting several minutes to make sure that Kankuro was gone Sakura snuck into the hall and hurried to Naruto's room.

Knocking loudly on the door Sakura was nearly in tears as she tried listening for sounds, realizing that she might be interrupting something. Silence was the predominant sound coming from the room when Sakura leaned closer to the door to try and tell if Naruto was even inside. The door opened suddenly, revealing a shirtless Kazekage who was wearing only boxers and looking at her with a slightly aggravated expression.

"What do you need?" Gaara asked in a tone that spelled his annoyance.

"I need to talk to Naruto, but I can see that you two are busy…I'll come back…" Sakura realized that there really wasn't a time before her breakfast date with Kankuro that she could return. "Please just tell him that I need to talk to him before seven tomorrow morning, Gaara. Can you do that, please?"

Gaara grinned a devious type of smirk at Sakura, "You did not interrupt anything. He is only sleeping, Sakura. Do you want me to wake him?"

"Could you?" she said, turning away as tears danced in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill.

Gaara motioned her to come in and Sakura followed. The room was dark and Naruto was passed out asleep underneath the covers of the guest-bed. Gaara walked over to his sleeping partner, "Sakura is here and she wants to speak with you."

The Kazekage gently nudged the sleeping blonde until he woke, grinning up at the red-haired man standing above him and then attempting to pull Gaara down into the bed. Apparently Naruto hadn't heard the part about Sakura being in the room.

"No," Gaara told Naruto firmly pushing the hands that were slinking around Gaara's leg away. "Sakura is here, she wishes to speak with you."

Naruto looked over to a dimly lit area of the room and saw a silhouette of his friend, then turning to Gaara and quietly muttering, "Thanks, I'm naked."

"Last time she was here you brought her to me while I was naked. I figured you would not care," Gaara said returning to his spot on the other side of the bed and crawling under the covers to sleep again. Naruto motioned for Sakura to wait a moment as he reached down to the floor and found his underwear…decent enough for Sakura he figured. Sakura turned away in what Naruto figured was her giving him time to dress, but instead it was to hide the tears that had started to trickle down her face.

_They were sleeping together…sleeping…not screwing…just slumbering like a couple that cared about each other enough to want to be in the same room as they dreamt, _Sakura thought to herself. _Why can't I have something like that?_

"Sakura?" Naruto asked with a worried tone as he walked over to her. "Is everything okay?"

Sakura shook her head furiously. "Why did you make me come here with you?" she sobbed.

"Why did I what?" Naruto asked confused, realizing that she was crying quite hard.

"So I could see what I don't have…so I can spend a few days with that man until he drops me just like Kakashi did. Why Naruto?" Sakura blubbered.

"What man? Kakashi? Sakura…I brought you with me so you could have a good time. Are you talking about Kankuro?"

Sakura nodded and brought one of her hands to her eyes and wiped away irate tears and then lowering the hand to her mouth where she bit nervously on a fingernail.

"What does my brother have to do with your being upset?" Gaara asked from across the room.

Sakura hadn't realized that Gaara was listening in on her and Naruto's conversation and hastily turned toward the door, considering leaving until Naruto placed a strong hand on her shoulder, stopping Sakura's forward movement. Turning his head toward Gaara, Naruto gave his lover a look with furrowed brows and shook his head once, revealing that he wanted Gaara to be quiet. The Kazekage did not take the hint.

"What did my brother do?" Gaara repeated. "If he hurt you I will speak with him and…"

Naruto watched as Gaara didn't finish his statement, only smirked in the most evil of ways that spelled that Kankuro would receive some sort of physical retribution for mistreating Sakura.

"He gave me this," Sakura told Naruto and Gaara, handing her blonde friend the marionette that Kankuro had crafted.

"You're upset because he gave you a gift?" Naruto asked with a perplexed expression.

"So he gave you the doll?" Gaara asked, getting up from the bed and walking toward the two. "I did not think that he would have the courage to give it to you."

"You knew about this?" Sakura asked the Kazekage.

"Of course," the red-haired Suna leader replied. "He has been working on it for weeks, always talking about you and getting tiny wood chips all over my office…I hate it when he carves those damn things during meetings. I suppose it did keep his mind preoccupied."

Both Naruto and Sakura raised confused eyebrows at Gaara, non-verbally asking for further explanation, but receiving none. Naruto rubbed Sakura's back lightly and Gaara found his vest, pulling a handkerchief out for Sakura to use to dry her eyes. Sakura took it gratefully and dried the remaining tears before blowing her nose into the material. Gaara gave her a disgusted look and the told her to keep it.

"What did you mean by preoccupied?" Naruto whispered to Gaara as Sakura blew her nose again.

Gaara still not realizing that Naruto was trying to be subtle replied simply in an audible tone that even Sakura could hear, "My idiot brother has been abstaining for some reason and it is driving me insane. He uses crafting puppets to keep himself busy and his mind off of things…away from women. He was waiting for Sakura to return."

Sakura looked at the Kazekage with complete shock and Naruto had the same expression painted on his face until he started nervously laughing and shoving Gaara away from Sakura, hissing things at his boyfriend about the Kazekage not being funny at all.

"It is not a joke. My brother is in love with her, and so he waited. What is so unusual about that?" Gaara asked confused and rather loud…loud enough for Sakura to once again overhear.

"Kankuro…what?" Sakura mumbled as the room seemed to spin and she felt very woozy. Looking for a place to sit down, but not finding one, Sakura slumped against the door that was behind her.

"Well, he has not said so, but it is very obvious. He mopes around and talks about you all the time…pining after you at every opportunity…it is very annoying," Gaara iterated.

Naruto herded Gaara over to the bed and pointed at it with a slightly angry look. One that confused Gaara as the Kazekage sat on the edge of the bed. "No more…quiet," Naruto told him, causing Gaara to squinch his eyes at the blond.

"I'm having breakfast with him tomorrow…I don't know if I should," Sakura whispered, trying to hold back another wave of tears.

"Yes, you should. It's only breakfast, and if what _he_ says is true…" Naruto said shooting Gaara a dirty look, "…it might be worth your while. How do you feel about him, Sakura? By the way you are reacting I think that you like him quite a bit. Give Kankuro a chance."

"I don't want to get hurt again. I'm tired of getting hurt, Naruto."

"My brother will not hurt you or I will hurt him," Gaara hissed, breaking Naruto's order of silence. "I will go speak to him about it now."

Both Naruto and Sakura turned to Gaara to protest, but in a flurry of sand the Kazekage and his clothing were gone. Naruto smirked, knowing that there would be no more worries about Kankuro using or hurting Sakura. If Kankuro decided to continue pursuing his friend it would be with only the purest of intentions…Gaara would see to that.

**_END OF CHAPTER_**

* * *

**A/N's:** No cuts this chapter, it is intact. I'll keep posting new chapters the next few days.  



	7. Chapter 7

**_Hot Sand _**

**_Chapter 7  
_**

**_by Lemon Drops/thatreevesgirl (both me)_**

* * *

(Three Weeks Prior to Sakura and Naruto's Trip to Suna) 

Temari was so homesick that she could barely handle another day of life surrounded by joyful Leaf-nins. Konohans were content to wander around in a place where fall was filled with colored leaves and bitterly chilled mornings, mornings that made Temari's teeth chatter. She had always avoided missions to anywhere there was snow or temperatures below freezing for a long period of time, and if the frost on the ground outside was any indicator, she living in an unavoidable hell. Even in the middle of winter Suna never dipped down to these temperatures. Shika had been sweet and tried to buy her warm clothes to bundle up in. Unfortunately, they only made Temari feel trapped and claustrophobic in all the fabric that she was inevitably enveloped in whenever she was forced out of her home to run errands or do a mission for Konoha.

Sitting at the table waiting for Shikamaru to come down for breakfast, Temari grumbled some more and realized that she wanted to take a trip home, Shikamaru still hadn't come out to eat, so Temari decided to go to him. The lazy man was still in bed, contentedly snoring as he dreamt the morning away.

"Wake up!" Temari told her husband, hopping on the bed next to him and hovering over him with a menacing glare.

"Shush," Shikamaru told her, not realizing he was about to meet his wife's wrath in about three seconds.

"I said wake up, Shika!" Temari demanded, shaking her husband's shoulder vigorously.

"And I said shush," Shika muttered, pushing Temari away.

"Fine, I was just going to let you know that I'm going to take a trip to Suna to make sure my idiot brothers aren't destroying the country in my absence." Temari stared at Shika, hoping for some kind of dialogue with him.

"Whatever…how long will you be there?" Shikamaru asked, rolling onto his stomach and attempting to bury himself in the covers on the bed.

"I don't know, maybe a week," Temari told him. Much longer than she expected to stay, but she didn't like how easily Shika was taking the news that his newly wedded wife was going to leave him and take a trip home without him. Newly wedded couples weren't supposed to desire long absences from their mates.

"Whatever," Shikamaru muttered, adding a, "How troublesome…" from under his pillow as he covered his face with it.

Temari was furious, absolute irate at the thought of Shika being so understanding and allowing her to go. He was supposed to argue with her…or offer to go along. She stood up off the bed and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her in a way that made Shikamaru sigh before returning to sleep.

Temari arrived in Suna and everything was surprisingly good. Nothing had fallen apart and no one had died in her absence due to her brothers' mishandling of her true home. This actually made her want to cry as she realized that Suna didn't really need her…it was all just a fallacy and Temari became conscious that she wasn't as important to the foundation of her homeland as she had thought.

"Temari?" came a familiar voice from behind her as she stood outside her old home. "Did that bastard Shikamaru throw you out?"

"No Kankuro, he didn't throw me out. I mi…" Temari cut herself short. She wasn't sure that she wanted her brother to know that she had missed him. "I hate cold weather."

"It only gets worse from here on out, snow and everything Temari. You'll freeze your spiky little ponytails off," Kankuro teased, laughing at his sibling. "You should have had Shikamaru move here, that lazy brat could have lazed about in the sun and you would have been happy."

Temari growled at her brother as Kankuro waved at a group of approaching dignitaries, led by Gaara. The group of men and women entered the Kazekage's mansion and Kankuro let out a discouraged huff as soon as everyone was inside, preparing himself for another boring day of meetings.

Temari lifted an eyebrow and scoffed at her younger brother, "Having trouble keeping Gaara in line?"

"No, not Gaara…that damned boyfriend of his! Coming to Suna almost every week and making me work. We've had six meetings with those stuffy diplomatic bastards this week. I'm sick of sitting in meetings and bickering about things that don't even involve Suna, and it's all because of that stupid blonde Hokage." Kankuro growled and glared at his sister.

"You whine too much Kankuro," Temari said with a grin. "I think you're jealous of Gaara's newest plaything…lonely little brother?"

Normally Kankuro would have snapped back with a response such as 'of course not' or 'with as many women as I have in my bed'…but not now. Ever since Sakura had left picking up women just seemed empty and shallow…not as fun as it used to be.

"Silence speaks volumes, Kankuro," Temari told her brother in a calm and almost understanding way. Her facial features softened and an almost shy look of concern seemed to grace her eyes. "What's wrong? Is there something I can do to help?"

Kankuro's left eye raised in suspicion, Temari never acted like this before she was married. She was brutal and ruthless most of the time, not at all caring about Kankuro or Gaara's personal affairs, and definitely not interested in either of their love lives. Kankuro knew that she loved her siblings, but never once offered advice or help with anything of the sort. The puppet nin swallowed a dry lump in his throat and continued to watch Temari with mistrust… '_Is this even Temari…she shouldn't be back so soon…it must be a spy using her appearance as a disguise,' _Kankuro mused, lacing the strings to Karasu quickly and preparing for battle.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Temari screeched, smacking Kankuro with her fist on top of his head. "I ask you what's wrong and you reach to attack? You are so obvious with your movements."

"Who are you?" Kankuro growled at the person that couldn't be his sister, there was no way that it was her.

"I'm Temari of the Sand, **your sister**!" Temari yelled at Kankuro as Karasu suddenly appeared leaping from the mansion, ready for battle as weapons were posed at many of the appendages of the puppet. "Would you like me to prove it to you?"

"I think that would be best," Kankuro grumbled, changing his posture to remove any openings that the imposter Temari could use to attack.

Though the puppet-nin thought he had erased all probable avenues for his phony sibling to get close, Temari easily found a space to weave her way in and whispered something in Kankuro's ear that made him turn bright red. "Now do you believe me? I swear Kankuro, you are the most moronic man I have ever known."

Karasu backed down and returned to a more compact form of himself before moving back toward the mansion. Kankuro was still blushing at the little factoid that Temari had reminded him of, one that only he, Temari, and Gaara knew about. Kankuro fidgeted nervously as he tried to divert his attention from the memory of the most embarrassing moment of his life. "He's changed you, Temari."

"Who's changed me?" the blonde woman snapped.

"Shikamaru…you've gone soft."

Pulling her fan from her back, but not unfolding it Temari hissed a warning to Kankuro, "Tell me that again and I'll show you who has gone soft."

"Yeah, yeah…I know you haven't gone soft in battle, but I think you're hearts gotten a bit mushy," Kankuro muttered while rubbing the sore lump on his head that Temari had pounded into his skull earlier.

"Mushy? I think the only thing that has turned to mush is your brain, Kankuro. Now why is it that you are having problems with women…I've never seen you worried about that before."

"Why should I tell you?" Kankuro didn't want Temari to know the hell his heart was going through, or that he hadn't been with anyone else since Sakura left Suna "I have a meeting to attend, unless…"

"Unless what?" Temari asked, lifting an eyebrow in disdain at her plotting brother.

"You always liked putting those dignitary bastards in their place, care to come with and remind them that Suna still has enough spitfire to take them if they dared to try anything?" Kankuro asked with an evil chuckle. The old fogies from Mist would definitely get an earful from Temari if they repeated their disrespectful attitude that they had been abusing the last few days. Seeing them put in their place by his feisty sister was something that Kankuro would definitely like to see.

"I think that sounds nice…I've missed having someone to argue with, Shika just mumbles and ignores me, so I'm overdue for a good 'debate' of sorts." Temari cackled a bit, making Kankuro grin. At least it had distracted her from his love life and was going to give him some definite entertainment during the usually dry meeting. Without saying anything else to each other Temari and Kankuro headed into the mansion, ready to take on the Mist diplomats and any others that decided to question the authority of Suna.

* * *

A clink of glass was heard in Kankuro's study as he and Temari toasted each other over a good day's work. Temari had been as fearless and ruthless as Kankuro had predicted, completely pissing off Gaara and Naruto who had lectured the two sand siblings thoroughly at the end of the meeting. Neither Temari nor Kankuro really cared about what the two leaders thought, the eldest Mist representative had it coming to him. This is what led Temari and Kankuro to a drunken celebration of sorts, complete with sake while holed up in Kankuro's private quarters.

"Damn, Temari, I haven't seen that Mist bastard so upset since Gaara refused the concessions he had proposed at the beginning of this hellish week. I'm glad that you came home," Kankuro drawled, buzzed and nearing completely wasted.

"…this isn't my home anymore, Kankuro. I live in Konoha," a drunken Temari told her brother sadly.

"At least you have friends there, it could be worse," Kankuro offered along with more sake to refill her cup.

"Yeah, but it's cold and I don't have…" Temari's voice trailed off. She really did miss Gaara and Kankuro. They had been such a large part of her life for so long and now the three siblings were separated. For a time her brothers were all she had, and the three shared an unspoken bond, one that wasn't easily broken even when great distances divided them.

Kankuro looked at her with a strange expression, one that was a cross between confusion and humored drunkenness. "What don't you have, Temari?" he asked her with a chuckle, expecting the answer to be warm weather or power or some such non-sense.

"I don't have the rest of my family," Temari told Kankuro quietly. "I miss you and Gaara. I may have friends in Konoha, but somehow it's not the same."

Kankuro didn't say anything in direct response to Temari's admittance that she missed her siblings, only laid an unsteady drunk hand on Temari's shoulder and gave her a gruff "Hmph" and a nod of his head. "More sake?" he finally asked, breaking the moment between them.

"Yes, please," she mumbled, completely unnerved by her brother's attempt at consoling her…they were both going soft. "So what is your issue with women, you never told me."

Kankuro rolled his eyes, he had been hoping to avoid the topic, but it did seem a better pick than getting all weepy about the loss of the person he considered himself closest to in the entire world. He'd never tell Temari, but she really was his best friend.

Temari in her drunken state didn't wait for an answer from Kankuro and started spouting off reasons that seemed plausible. "Did one of your little wenches give you something more than a fun ride…because I think that there are medicines for that kind of problem…or is it just a performance issue? Shika has had that problem once or twice…are you getting it up alright?"

Kankuro spat the sake that he'd been leisurely sipping out in a spray of shock as he tried to comprehend his sister (drunk as she was) talking about him having erectile dysfunction. "Stop, Temari. Just stop," he grumbled, trying to will her to talk about something else.

"Well is it that or that?" first pointing at his crotch and then at his heart. "It's always one or the other, Kankuro."

Kankuro hurriedly drank down the remaining sake from his cup and poured himself more. "I don't want to discuss it, Temari."

"I think you do. You always get drunk with me when you want to talk, it loosens your lips," Temari told her brother with a devilish smirk as she grabbed the sake bottle away from Kankuro and filled her own cup since he hadn't offered to give her more.

Kankuro didn't answer, only gazed off into a corner. To most people it would appear that he was completely ignoring Temari, but the blonde woman noticed when Kankuro's hand slyly moved up his chest and pointed to his heart.

"Who is she?" Temari nearly whispered, seeing the hurt expression that seemed to be creeping onto Kankuro's face.

"Someone that I can't have," he murmured. "Naruto says she refuses to come to Suna with him and I went to Konoha last week and she was too busy to speak with me."

"You were in Konoha last week and you didn't visit me?" Temari roared at her brother. "I miss your stupid ass and you can't even come say hello to your own sister."

Kankuro raised his hands to his face in defense of the sake cup that was flying toward him at an astonishing speed. Quickly ducking, the cup zinged by Kankuro's head and smashed into the wall behind him. "Hey! I did visit you, but you were on a mission. Shikamaru told me that he'd inform you that I'd stopped by."

The anger dripped away from Temari's face as she muttered an apology for throwing the sake cup at Kankuro. Kankuro only nodded and offered her a new one, freshly filled with more sake. Taking a sip of the liquid Temari grumbled, "He didn't tell me."

"I figured that out when you nearly killed me with that damn cup," Kankuro chuckled. Silence once again filled the room, and neither sibling said anything for a few moments.

"…Sakura…"

Temari was confused, but only for a moment before she realized why Kankuro had brought up one of her closest friends from Konoha. Sakura was the one that he couldn't have. Just for good measure, she repeated the name in the form of a question, "Sakura?"

Kankuro nodded, but didn't say anything else, only pouted a bit and then returned to drinking.

"You have it bad, don't you?"

Kankuro furrowed his brows and then glared at Temari. Damn her for making him realize this…that he really did…

"Fight for her," Temari told Kankuro, interrupting his thoughts. "Don't back down, that isn't like you at all. Fight for her."

"She doesn't want me, Temari."

Temari scoffed and rolled her eyes at Kankuro, "As much as she's been moping around lately, I highly doubt that. You forget that I hear a good portion of the girl gossip from the kunoichi's of Konoha…and I happen to be privy to a few good rumors."

"Like?"

"Like a certain pink-haired friend of mine broke things off with Kakashi and swore off men, but apparently she had a fling during my wedding with someone in Suna that has been plaguing her mind. I never found out who, but I think I can make a good guess now."

Kankuro ducked down into his chair, blushing a bit, but that was hidden by the redness from drinking. "She talks about it?"

"Ino talks about it, Sakura has been completely tightlipped about her relationships recently. Apparently Sakura had fallen pretty hard for her sensei, but he broke her heart." Temari informed Kankuro. "Ino has been trying to get her to pursue her Suna interest, but Sakura's heart isn't ready. That's why I think you should fight for her. It's obvious that you made some kind of impression, she's just not ready yet. Give her time and then show her why she should be with you…romance and all that crap."

Kankuro laughed at his very unfeminine sister, "Sometimes I'm not sure you are really a woman, most of your gender likes romance."

"And who says I don't?" Temari hissed. "I like it as much as any girl. Shika is very romantic."

"Then why are you here in Suna, rather than with your husband? He obviously did something wrong," Kankuro observed.

"He won't argue with me," Temari told Kankuro.

"You left him because he won't argue with you?"

Temari gritted her teeth at her brother who was most definitely mocking her, "Shut up, you wouldn't understand."

"You're right, I don't," Kankuro chuckled, "I definitely don't understand you or Sakura. So you really think I should pursue her?"

Temari smiled at her brother, he was so obviously smitten with the pink-haired Konohan. "Yes, Kankuro, you should. She would be a good match for you."

**END OF CHAPTER**

* * *

**A/N's:** No cuts this chapter, it is intact. I'll keep posting new chapters the next few days.  



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